Sporting leaders must stand up for pokies reform. ‘Chilling’ pokies

The Tasmanian Greens today said that sporting industry leaders are disgracing themselves and betraying their fans with their efforts to block the Federal pre-commitment pokies reform package.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said he was gravely concerned at moves by Clubs Australia and the NRL to campaign against measures to reduce problem gambling.

“The NRL and Clubs Australia should hang their head in shame if they think that it’s alright to profit from the misery of poker machine addicts,” Mr Booth said.

“This is both un-Australian and un-sportsmanlike and what it shows is that these organisations care more about making a quick grab for cash than supporting what’s best for the community.”

“These greedy interests plan to spend $20 million fighting these reforms, money which has itself been earned largely through suffering.”

Mr Booth acknowledged that AFL representatives have backed away from throwing their weight behind Clubs Australia’s push.

“The AFL Players’ Association has been a true leader on social issues in recent years, developing family-friendly policies and working on youth homelessness, and I would urge them to be more proactive when it comes to playing a role on problem gambling.”

“Finals season is the time when the eyes of the nation are on football, so now is the time for sporting leaders to send a strong message that it’s not alright to profit from misery.”

• Yesterday on Tasmanian Times: Greens flag legislation on casino pokies levy. Clubs threaten Wilkie. Eddie lashes ‘footy tax’

• ABC: Criminal syndicates recruiting problem gamblers into drug trade

Updated September 28, 2011 06:32:30

The ABC Online Investigative Unit has found gamblers playing poker machines at pubs and clubs are being recruited to traffic heroin and cultivate cannabis.
Geoff Thompson and Eleanor Bell

Watch HERE

First published: 2011-09-27 02:35 PM

ALARMING LINK BETWEEN CRIME AND PROBLEM GAMBLING
Report Highlights Need for Pokies Roll-Back

Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming Spokesperson

The Tasmanian Greens are calling for anti-problem gambling measures to be implemented as a matter of priority, in light of a national study of parole records which revealed that almost three-quarters of convicted drug offenders blame problem gambling for forcing them to turn to crime.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that the report is a stark reminder of the wide-ranging harmful and often-unseen impacts of poker machines.

“It’s alarming that a court psychologist found that of the 120 cases he had dealt with in the past 3 years, about half of all cases involved gambling on poker machines as a significant contributor to the offence,” Mr Booth said.

“The report also reveals that criminal networks recruit problem gamblers as traffickers of heroin, or to cultivate cannabis as an easy way to pay their debts and fund their gambling habits.”

“This is another horrifying example of how poker machines are having a compounding effect on social dysfunction, spreading harm, misery and addiction across the community.

“While the national report does not appear to have canvassed Tasmanian statistics, it’s clear that we need a more proactive and precautionary public policy approach to rolling back pokies from the community.”

“That’s why the Greens are continuing our push for Tasmania’s casinos to contribute a portion of their pokies profits to the Community Support Levy, in line with what other gaming venues already contribute.”

“The Greens see this measure as an interim step building toward a complete ban on poker machines in Tasmania, with all the harm they bring.”