On 29 November 2012, the Federal Government was successful in
passing through both houses of Parliament legislation aimed at
regulating the operation and use of gaming machines and addressing
associated issues of problem gambling. The Acts became law on 12
December 2012.
The haste with which the legislation passed through Parliament
is in contrast to the protracted development of these reforms, yet
reflects a number of material policy and political motivations for
the Government. We track the development of the legislation and
consider some of its broader implications.
The Exposure Drafts
In our article "Gaming Machines and Pre-Commitment –
Possible Australian Federal Legislation",1 we
described the background to the release of the Exposure Drafts and
outlined some of the proposed key changes, as well as the policy
background. The changes included:
