If the Federal Government’s mandatory pre-commitment proposal to upgrade poker machine technology and install bet limits is approved this could well be the reality for NSW businesses.

If this goes ahead Clubs NSW predicts the Moree and District Services Club will lose more than $1 million in revenue and the installation cost for the new technology will be about the same – so that’s at least $2 million the club is already at a loss.

The government’s proposal is to deter problem gambling but Moree and District Services Club secretary manager Graham James says this is the wrong approach.

“If this is passed it will cripple the whole industry,” he said.

“It’s not going to cure the problem; it’s just going to move the issue elsewhere.

“You’re not going to stop a problem gambler this way.

“They’ll find other avenues like the internet.”

He said if the initiative were to go ahead it would mean people would have to declare with the office if they could afford to gamble and how much they could spend.

They would be given a card to insert into the machines and when the limit was reached the person could no longer gamble.

“It’s an invasion of privacy,” Mr James said.

According to him the initiative would not only affect clubs but members, sporting groups, community organisations and the public in general.

“We make donations and give grants to 15 plus clubs which a lot of them rely on to keep going,” Mr James said.

“We also have funding for charities and fundraisers but that will be gone too.

“The club doesn’t charge community groups to meet here.

“Our pokies are our biggest source of income,” he said.

“It will be lost revenue for the government too. Where are they going to get their funding from?

“The cost of living will go up again.”

There has been a proposal to introduce the new technology by 2012 but according to Mr James there is “no way in the world” it could be done in that time.

It has been suggested 10 years would be a fair phase-in time.