A review of South Australia’s gaming machine trading system is now underway looking at the way that Gaming Machine Entitlements (GMEs) are traded and reducing the maximum number of gaming machines operable in the state.
The state government is interested to hear from the broader community and to get feedback on alternative trading options to achieve the statutory objective of reducing the number of machine entitlements to 13,081 or less.
Consultation will close on 3 November 2023.
The options being canvassed include:
- permitting direct trading of entitlements between licensed premises operated by the same hotel gaming operator (external from the approved trading system)
- establishing a new ‘open market’ entitlement trading scheme using a web-based trading platform managed by Consumer and Business Services
- introducing a fixed rate of forfeiture to better achieve a reduction in GMEs.
Under the rules of the current Approved Trading System only the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner can instigate a trading round during which gaming machine licence holders submit sealed bids to buy or sell entitlements to Consumer and Business Services.
Any feedback will inform the advice provided to the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs about changing the rules of the approved trading system commencing mid-2024.
More information is available on the CBS website.
