Clubs Australia media blitz irresponsible

The Tasmanian Greens today called on State and Federal Members of Parliament to resist the vested interest onslaught by Clubs Australia’s new $20 million media campaign designed to protect the status quo around pokies, and to lobby against proposed harm minimisation reforms.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the millions spent on this media blitz would have been better invested in helping gamblers, their families, friends, and work-mates to overturn such financially debilitating addictions.

Mr Booth also said the lobbying power of the gambling and similar industries need to be removed from dictating ‘good’ social outcomes, which is another example why political donation reform is crucially needed.

“This is a terrible and selfish approach from Clubs Australia. This multi-million splurge is about protecting vested interests to the detriment of Tasmanian families,” Mr Booth said.

“It is not just the economy that suffers. The loss of $214,109,672 on pokies in 2010 means less food on families’ tables, less money in their pockets, and a reduced ability to provide for secure accommodation and a decent education for their children.”

“This is a rear guard action from an industry that is on the nose, and it is time the gambling industry realised that the community want change, and will not be bought off.”

“The State Parliamentary Select Committee on Gaming Control is currently investigating the possible introduction of a $1 bet limit, which will help curb problem gambling, and prevent unnecessary damage to the Tasmanian economy.”

“Poker machines are stealing between $16 million and $19 million from Tasmanians every single month, and Clubs Australia need to understand the importance of introducing meaningful harm minimisation measures to curb the vandalism that these machines wreak on our economy, and on our society,” said Mr Booth.

Pokies industry splurges $20m from addicts to protect licence to print money

The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has dismissed as dishonest the poker machine industry’s $20m disinformation campaign against efforts to diminish problem gambling.

“This is the pokies industry splurging $20m, a lot of it from the pockets of problem gamblers, in a selfish attempt to protect its licence to print money,’’ Mr Wilkie said.

“I say to Clubs Australia and the Australian Hotels Association that it’s un-Australian to profit from the misery of pokies addicts and their families as the industry does currently.

“I’m not against gambling, I’m not against people having a punt, I’m not against clubs and I’m not against hotels.

“What I am against is problem gambling and all that can follow: bankruptcy, depression, family breakdown, crime and tragically suicide.’’

Mr Wilkie said the industry’s claim that a mandatory pre-commitment system would require everyone who gambled on the pokies to get a licence was a downright lie.

“The Productivity Commission recommended a mandatory pre-commitment system, where people can identify how much they’re prepared to lose on the pokies before they start gambling, as an effective way to reduce the harm done by pokies,’’ he said.

“But what the industry is ignoring is that the Productivity Commission also recommended recreational gamblers could opt out of mandatory pre-commitment by buying low-value cards or playing low-intensity machines

“The truth is the vast majority of pokies players would probably choose these safer options.

“Gamblers would only need to register if they wanted to gamble unrestrained on the current fleet of dangerous, high-intensity machines, which have been banned in other countries because gamblers can lose much more than $1000 an hour.’’
Mr Wilkie said he remained confident he would have the numbers to pass legislation to introduce a mandatory pre-commitment system.
“Some $5 billion a year is lost on poker machines in Australia, much of it from people who cannot afford it,’’ he said.

“This unprecedented opportunity to do something about it must be grasped.’’