Arcade games in South Australia that resemble 'pokies' (poker machines) will be banned under a plan to tackle problem gambling.
According to online reports, Gambling Minister Bernard Finnigan has said machines that have flashing lights similar to pokies and offer valuable prizes or reward players with prizes based on luck would be declared illegal.
"Some amusement arcades have previously installed games that are very similar to gaming machines," he said. "Community concerns have been raised that some machines could be inappropriate for children and could become a pathway to gambling behaviour."
Finnigan stressed that coin-operated ride-on toys, pinball machines, billiard tables, air hockey tables or claw-crane machines would not be banned.
Senator Nick Xenophon welcomed the move, saying the arcade machines to be targeted were "like kids’ training machines for poker machines," but he said the government should have acted earlier.
"These machines don’t involve skill, they just rely on a random selection system to create winners and losers - just like poker machines - and we all know the devastating effect poker machines can have," he said. "We must do everything we can to ensure these machines targeting children don’t normalise games of chance like poker machines."
Finnigan added that after the consultation period, which ends on May 13, Treasury and Finance would draft regulations to outlaw the relevant machines.
There is no definitive list of machines that could be banned but it is thought games that can be found at shopping centres, cinemas and games arcades across the state could be included.
