Canberra clubs to trade pokies as part of 'largest reduction in ACT history'

The ACT Government is set to embark on the largest poker machine reduction in Canberra's history by allowing clubs to trade machines.

Since the beginning of 2013 clubs with more than one venue were able to transfer poker machines within their club network.

But clubs will now be allowed to trade poker machine licenses in the ACT, a move which could see smaller venues sell their poker machines to larger organisations.

Clubs ACT chief executive officer Jeff House has welcomed the decision.

"It's something that we've been after for some years now and the introduction of that scheme really brings the ACT into line with other states that operate gaming machines," he said.

Gaming Minister Joy Burch said a reduction in the overall number of machines would occur through the trading scheme, with a percentage of poker machine licences to be surrendered with each transaction.

She said licenses would be capped at a ratio of 15 machines to every 1,000 adults.

But Mr House said reducing the number of poker machines would not reduce the risk of harm.

"There hasn't really been an evidentiary approach to identifying a link between sheer numbers of machines and an otherwise effective harm minimisation strategy," he said.

"[But] whilst I don't necessarily with the principle behind the reduction, we've been consistent in saying we recognise the Government's policy agenda and we're happy to work with that in the context of a broader package, which provides some support for the clubs to make those transitions."

Ms Burch said the reforms were the most comprehensive and wide-ranging to the club sector since self-government.

"It has been important to strike a balance between reforms that help our clubs with harm minimisation and the revenue impact on Government," she said.

"While I want to see the clubs continue to grow and prosper, this package will also result in the Territory achieving the biggest reduction in gaming machine numbers in its history, with future increases linked to population growth."

But Opposition spokesman Brendan Smyth said the ACT Government had backflipped on poker machine numbers.

Last year the Government announced plans to reduce the number of poker machines in Canberra by 20 per cent to 4,000.

Mr Smyth said the Government should not be the owner, operator and beneficiary of poker machines.

"If the Government wants to reduce the number of poker machines in the ACT today they could give back some of their own machines that they have in the Labor Club and the Tradies," he said.

"I'm not sure any of these reforms will seriously address problem gambling."

'Hotels being locked out of the marketplace'

The Australian Hotel Association (AHA) said it believed it was being pushed out of the marketplace under the proposed changes.

AHA spokesman Brad Watts said the plans would create an unfair playing field between hotels and clubs.

"Now the clubs have an absolute majority in this market and they can really push forward," he said.

"It's a real competitive advantage. We think that the clubs have been favoured by the Government which is very disappointing and really the hotel sector has been largely ignored."

Mr Watts said the ACT was the only state or territory besides Western Australia that does not permit hotels access to the same type of poker machines.

"There has never been a level playing field on gaming machines in the ACT and these reforms will only further exacerbate this inequity," he said.

The reforms were developed in consultation between the ACT Government and Clubs ACT.

The first phase of the scheme is expected to be introduced at the start of 2015.