POKIE LOSSES CONTINUE TO CLIMB

Gaming Commission Annual Report Reveals

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today continued their attack on the Labor government over pokie machines, saying that the Tasmanian Gaming Commission’s 2008-09 Annual Report released today showed that combined pokies losses in casinos, pubs and clubs had leapt from $213, 938, 037 for the financial year of 2007-08 to $224, 786, 327 last financial year.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that despite there being a minor decrease in the number of pubs and club venues and the number of pokies in those venues, the continued climb in pokies losses indicates the extent to which they are addictive.

“Despite there being a small decrease in pokie machines in pubs and clubs, the losses incurred by Tasmanians continue to climb, both in these venues and in casinos, to a staggering combined total of over $224 million last financial year,” Mr Booth said.

“It is also of grave concern that all of the local council areas detailed in the TGC’s Annual Report indicate that pokies losses increased in every municipality, with Glenorchy experiencing an increase in losses of approximately $1.5 million from the previous financial year, while the Launceston community lost an additional half a million.”

“This is serious money lost to local economies, families, and businesses, and the Tasmanian community cannot afford for the Labor government to keep turning a blind eye to the negative impact these one-armed bandits are inflicting.”

“At the municipality level, pokies losses are growing, statewide pokies losses are growing, yet Bartlett Labor continues to sit on its hands.”

“The latest figures released in the TGC Annual Report comes hot on the heals of the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report into gambling which found that pokies were the most addictive form of gambling assessed, and it is clear to anyone with a shred of a sense of community responsibility that these machines must be rolled back out of the community.”

“Sadly it would appear that Bartlett Labor is set upon putting their pokies profits and that of their corporate mates, Federal Hotels, over the welfare of the Tasmanian community,” Mr Booth said.
Kim Booth MP Greens Gaming spokesperson