Participation in the lucrative gaming industry in Queensland is a balancing act worthy of a Cirque de Soleil troupe. According to Liquor & Gaming Specialists Managing Director Matthew Jones, machine gaming businesses are among the most regulated on the planet. In more recent years the focus has shifted, with greater and greater emphasis on harm minimisation and protecting local communities.
“Problem gambling in overall population terms is relatively small, but in the narrower context of gaming businesses it’s something that must be taken seriously,” Jones said. “That’s what’s expected of licensees these days. It comes with the territory.”
Exclusion, whether by choice or otherwise, from a gaming venue is not a new concept, but technological support for the process is now available and is the smart choice for licensees prepared to put their money where their mouth is. The Airlie Beach Hotel is one such venue. After successful trials, cutting edge facial recognition technology has now been locked in across the whole site, and General Manager Michael McFie swears by it.
“At ABH we are fully committed to operating our gambling businesses responsibly and in full compliance with the law,” McFie said. “When you think about the importance of supporting a patron who wants to exclude themselves from gambling opportunities and the challenges with a venue the size of ours, facial recognition hardware and software just make perfect sense.”
Asked about the costs associated with the system McFie responded “It has to be about balance and recognising the harm that a small number of people in our community suffer as a result of gambling problems. There is plenty of money to be made in a well-run gaming business, so even though the system wasn’t cheap, it was a proportional response. If we manage to help a single person with this vulnerability it will have been worth every cent.”
Ultimately, it is about recognition in a broader sense: recognition of the existence of problem gambling; recognition of the statutory rights of those persons to voluntarily exclude themselves from a harmful environment; recognition of the privileged position held by gaming licensees; and recognition of the responsibility that comes with a licence to play in this space.
