Opinion
$100m-plus lost on pokies over first six months, Saffire blazes …
The Tasmanian Greens today revealed that over the first six months of this year Tasmanians have lost over one hundred million dollars on poker machines, following the Tasmanian Gaming Commission’s release of the June monthly losses in arrears.
Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that these figures demonstrate that for the second year running Tasmanians were set to lose over $200 million on pokies over twelve months, and urged the Parliament to give serious consideration to the Greens’ proposed legislation to introduce a $1 bet limit.
Mr Booth also said that these figures followed the recent release of a South Australian study that establishes a causal link between poker machine use and crimes including robbery, theft and fraud.
“Over the first six months of this year Tasmanians have lost a whopping $102, 745, 791 to pokies, with over $16 million lost in June alone,” Mr Booth said.
“For the second year in a row Tasmanians are facing the loss of over $200 million on pokies. This is an unacceptable amount of money that should go to providing food on tables and heating in homes.”
“The Productivity Commission has identified that there needs to be a reduction in pokies game speeds and a $1 bet limit introduced in order to effectively counter problem gambling, and given that Tasmanians have lost over $100 million in six months this would be the responsible action to take as a first step to tackle the impact of pokies.”
Mr Booth also said that the recently released report “The Relationship Between Crime and Gaming Expenditure in Victoria”, also makes the causal between pokies expenditure and crime which is largely attributed to the addictive nature of this form of gambling.
“We now know that additional to the huge financial losses incurred on pokies there is also the huge cost to the community through addiction-related crimes, the court fees, the counselling and the other impacts wrecked upon families and workplaces.”
“$100 million would feed many children who go to school without having eaten breakfast, it would keep the lights on and heat in many homes, it would keep afloat many local businesses, and it could prevent people from falling into a life of crime.”
“If both Labor and Liberal are serious about tackling problem gambling and helping the battler, they will move swiftly to support the introduction of $1 bet limit,” Mr Booth said.
Reference: http://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/domino/dtf/dtf.nsf/alls-v/CD36BFC11D136484CA2575E10006E703
Thursday:
Welfare groups count social cost of new 5-star resort
Updated 34 minutes ago
Welfare groups say the deal that brought about the new Saffire luxury resort at Coles Bay, on Tasmania’s east coast, has entrenched problem gambling in the state. (Federal Hotels)
Video: Tourism resort opens to gambling controversy (7pm TV News TAS) Map: Coles Bay 7215 Tasmania’s Premier has officially opened a new $32 million luxury resort on the state’s east coast.
The Saffire Resort is the state’s first boutique luxury resort.
It employs 45 staff and has 20 luxury suites overlooking Coles Bay, towards the Hazards.
The Federal Hotels group’s managing director Greg Farrell says it will generate millions of dollars for the Tasmanian economy.
“Once you arrive at Saffire it’s the beginning of the experience that’s not comparable to any other tourism product that we’re aware of anywhere,” Mr Farrell said.
The Premier David Bartlett is excited by the development’s worth to the economy.
“The very best thing that a government can do, that a state can provide for its citizens, is jobs,” Mr Bartlett said.
At more than $2,500 a night for the premium suite, it is an experience that is out of many Tasmanians’ reach, including the Premier’s.
“It’s well out of my means unfortunately,” he said.
The Coles Bay development was a condition of the deal with the State Government which gave Federal Hotels a 20-year monopoly on poker machines in Tasmania.
Welfare groups are not so impressed by the development; they say it has been built at the expense of problem gamblers.
Martin Gibson from TasCOSS, the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, says the poker machine monopoly deal has entrenched problem gambling in Tasmania.
“There’s no doubt there is a strong link between the creation of this resort and the entrenchment of problem gambling in Tasmania, and the resultant impact on Tasmanian families,” he said.
The Salvation Army wants the major parties in the Tasmanian Parliament to support a Greens bill putting a $1 betting limit on gaming machines.
The group’s Stuart Foster says the Greens bill must be supported when introduced into the next session of parliament.
“We certainly feel it’s not just a Labor and Greens issue,” Mr Foster said.
“This is a whole-of-parliament issue, this is a community issue. We’d like to see tri-partisan support for the recommendations of the Productivity Commission to be carried out within this state.”
Federal Hotels says problem gambling in Tasmania is declining.