An exposure draft of the National Gambling Reform Bills 2012 was released by the Australian Government last Friday.

The Bills are the first ever seen in the Commonwealth that directly aim to help problem gamblers and their families and build on the gambling reform package announced on January 21 this year.

Under the proposed legislation gamblers would be given the option to register a pre-committed ‘loss limit’ during a specific period of time that, once reached, would mean they are prevented from using gaming machines located in that State or Territory for the rest of that time period.

Other requirements of the Bills include a $250 per card per day withdrawal limit on ATMs in gambling venues, except casinos and some communities and the availability of pre-commitment technology on every poker machine in Australia by 2013.