And Number of Pokie Machines Also Increased
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today revealed that Tasmanians lost $19, 173, 419 on poker machines for the month of October alone, and again called on the Bartlett Government to implement a $1 per bet limit on pokies, a suggestion made by the Greens but voted down in Parliament by the majority Labor government earlier this month.
Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that the October losses were up from the previous month’s by almost $1.5 million, and that the latest figures also reveal that there are an additional 15 pokie machines in the community.
“These latest data figures, show that Tasmanians have lost over $19 million on pokies for the month of October alone, which is an increase of approximately $1.5 million from the previous month’s losses of $17, 685, 447,” Mr Booth said.
“As if an increase in losses isn’t bad enough, there was also an increase in the number of pokies in the community from 3652 to 3667, which is an additional 15 machines.”
“These figures are all going in the wrong direction. A connected and caring government would be prioritising a decrease in pokie losses and would be reducing the number of pokies by removing them from the community.”
“Tasmanians remain locked into the shocking probability of losing over $220 million in 2009 to the scourge of pokies and Labor needs to do more than just fiddle around the edges of the problem, as it has done with its recently passed Gaming Control Amendment Act (2009).”
“Real pokies reform is needed and needed fast,” Mr Booth said.
Treasury and Finance website reference: HERE
Kim Booth MP Greens Gaming spokesperson
