Wilkie slams clubs over Salvos claims … as another $18m lost in Tasmania

The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, today slammed the poker machine industry for resorting to threats and lies in its desperate attempt to stop the Government’s poker machine reforms.

He said he is particularly appalled at the way Clubs Australia and Clubs NSW have shamefully bullied and deliberately misrepresented the Salvation Army.

“Today the Sydney Telegraph attributed to ‘Salvo’ Louise Duff a Salvation Army statement that it no longer supports the Government’s poker machine reforms”, Mr Wilkie said.

“The newspaper report is patently untrue, as evidenced by a statement from the Salvation Army which makes it clear their Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory division supports the reform, while the New South Wales, Queensland and Capital Territory division supports further trials before endorsing it.”

“What this disgraceful episode really shows is the way in which the pokies industry bullies anyone standing between it and the $5 billion the industry harvests from poker machine problem gamblers each year.”

“The big story here is actually that clubs in NSW have started preventing the Salvos from fundraising on club premises and threatened to stop other support for the iconic Australian welfare organisation.”

“Moreover Ms Duff actually works for the Brilliant Logic public relations firm which proudly boasts Clubs NSW, Gaming and Racing as well as Easts Leagues among the clients it regards with ‘love and awe’.”

“The pokies industry is plumbing new depths in its deeply unethical campaign against the introduction of effective harm minimisation measures for poker machine players. That the industry is prepared to stoop so low as to intimidate and misrepresent an iconic welfare group like the Salvos just goes to show how desperate the industry is to protect its profits.”

The Government is moving to require players of high-intensity poker machines to set limits on their losses before they start play, as well as introduce safer $1 maximum bet machines outside of the mandatory pre-commitment system.

• Kim Booth MP, Greens Gaming Spokesperson: $18 million lost on pokies in July only
Time for Federal Hotels to Start Paying Out

The Tasmanian Greens today revealed that losses from poker machines in Tasmania were close to $19 million dollars in July, and close to a quarter of a billion dollars for the past 12 months.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the Gaming Commission figures published on the Treasury and Finance Website added further weight to the Greens call for Federal Hotels casinos to contribute to the Community Support Levy (CSL) just as pubs and clubs with pokies have to do.

“Tasmanians lost $18,859,677 to poker machines in the month of July alone. This is approximately $2 million dollars more than the previous month, or about a 15% increase,” Mr Booth said.
“How could anyone possibly consider this acceptable, especially at a time when the cost of living is increasing and many on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet?”

“The Greens are calling on the Treasurer to reconsider the Greens’ proposal that the current requirement for pubs and clubs to contribute a portion of their pokies profits to the Community Support Levy be expanded to include casinos operated by the pokies monopoly holder, Federal Hotels.”

“The Community Support Levy is a key mechanism to address problem gambling and its impacts upon families and the community.”

“There’s no conceivable reason that Federal Hotels casinos should be exempted from paying this levy. Federal has profited massively from its exclusive pokie licence, and now it’s time that the company backs up its rhetoric with action and contributes more to reducing the harm created by its machines.”

“The Greens maintain our support for Australia wide pre-commitment legislation and a one-dollar bet limit, as interim and remedial measures leading to an eventual ban on poker machines in Tasmania. Until then it’s unacceptable that Federal Hotels casinos should be exempt from contributing money to address the harm that their poker machines are clearly creating in the community.”

“The Greens estimate that this measure would generate an average of at least $3.5 million into state coffers, money that’s desperately needed at a time when the government is being forced to cut front line services in health, education and policing.”

Reference: Electronic Gaming Machine Expenditure by Rolling Year, Dept of Treasury and Finance
http://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/domino/dtf/dtf.nsf/6044ee0c1cf958a2ca256f2500108bba/cd36bfc11d136484ca2575e10006e703?OpenDocument

Note: Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth presented a question to the Premier and Treasurer Lara Giddings during Parliamentary Question Time today at 11:22AM.

First published: 2011-09-01 03:05 PM