Economy
Pokies forum to focus on solutions
The Tasmanian Greens today said that the upcoming forum, People Before Pokies, organised by Hobart Alderman Helen Burnet, was an opportunity to give voice to pokie victims and to organise community action limit the damage from pokies.
Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the need for strong action against pokies addiction was once again highlighted by the most recent monthly in-arrears statistics on poker machine losses, which showed that Tasmanians lost $16,286,868 in April alone bring total losses for the year $67,283,137.
Mr Booth also said that with the gambling industry now reportedly threatening to delay the Federal Government’s trial on mandatory pre commitment, the case was growing for the introduction of a $1 per spin bet limit on poker machines.
“It is critical that communities work together to mitigate the impact of pokies as the statistics show that problem gamblers in Hobart can easily blow a week’s wages in less than an hour,” Mr Booth said.
“A quick sum on the back of an envelope shows that a problem gambler in Hobart can easily lose more than a week’s wage packet in less than an hour.”
“A $1 per spin bet limits would lower the maximum loss in an hour from $1200 to $120, and while that wouldn’t put an end to the harm from pokies, it would be a big step in the right direction.”
“When compared to mandatory pre-commitment, a $1 bet limit would be a relatively simple measure for the industry to implement, and would massively reduce the amount that a problem gambler can lose in a given period of time.
“What makes these lost millions worse is that it is predominantly low-wage Tasmanians who are being affected by gambling addiction.
“The Greens, social welfare agencies and small businesses have long suspected pokies are placed in the middle of lower socio-economic areas to exploit our most vulnerable.”
“The recent Social Economic Impact Study (SEIS) showed this was the case, having said that pokies:
“…tend to be concentrated in Local Government Areas that have low socio-economic status (SES). Expenditure in low SES areas is significantly higher than in comparison areas. Problem gambling, moderate risk gambling and lower risk gambling are all higher in low SES areas’.” [2]
The Social and Economic Impact of Study of Gambling in Tasmania (released in March 2012 and undertaken by the Allen Consulting Group) found that the dollar cost to the community is $144 million, which is double the dollar benefit from pokies.
“Imagine the response to a Government distributing nearly quarter of a billion dollars to some of our most vulnerable people.”