For an older Canberran living alone, the local club may be the one place they regularly go where someone knows their name. Losing it means more than finding somewhere else to eat. It means losing a familiar part of their life.

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That is what sits behind the government's promise to reduce gambling harm and keep community clubs viable. Both commitments matter. Canberrans deserve evidence that both will be delivered. Reducing gambling harm and preserving community clubs should be pursued together. Public policy must provide a credible path to achieving both.

I joined my first club at 18, mainly for the Friday night disco. More than forty years later, some of the people I met there are still among my closest friends. Clubs give people somewhere to meet and reasons to keep coming back.

None of that diminishes the seriousness of gambling harm. It affects individuals, families and the wider community. Clubs have a responsibility to address it.

More than three years ago, ClubsACT requested a cashless gaming trial. We have also called for exclusions that work across the NSW border and better tools to identify excluded patrons.

I represent clubs and have a clear interest in their future; that is why our assessment and the government's should be open to public scrutiny.

The proposed measures pile up: mandatory cashless gaming, bans on ATM and eftpos cash withdrawals, shorter operating hours and compulsory machine reductions.

Once gaming itself is cashless, what extra protection does a venue-wide withdrawal ban provide? Card payments for meals would remain available, but removing cash withdrawals could still affect where patrons choose to eat, attend events or gather for Anzac Day two-up.

The effects could reach beyond gaming into the meal and event trade. Yet we have not been shown the evidence explaining what the package will cost and what........

© Canberra Times