Coroner & Legal
Pokies: Woeful arguments of Bacon and Rockliff
DISAPPOINTING OUTCOME ON $1 BET LIMIT IN STATE PARLIAMENT
The anti-pokies lobby group, Put People Before Pokies, Tasmania! was today disappointed in the outcome of the defeat of the Bill to introduce a $1 bet limit. Members of the group sat in the Gallery of the Legislative Council to hear the debate and to witness the vote.
Spokesperson Helen Burnet criticised the position of members of the House who voted down reform, particularly the Liberals in the House who had effectively changed their position from 2009, when they supported a $1 bet limit per spin.
Speaking after the vote was taken, Ms Burnet said,
“It is unfortunate for those families of pokies addicts who have not received any relief today from the unrelenting loss caused through poker machines.
“It was extremely unsatisfactory to hear the woeful arguments put by both Labor Minister for Finance & Gaming, Scott Bacon, and Liberal Jeremy Rockliff, against the introduction of a $1 bet limit on pokies.
“Mr Bacon suggested that the mandatory code of practice introduced in 2012 was enough to stave off gambling impacts. I’m not sure how many reports have been made under the Code, but I do know that even after its introduction, $224m was still spent on pokies last financial year in Tasmania. Of that $224m, almost half was spent by problem gamblers and those at moderate risk. The Code has not made much difference to them.
“On the Floor of the House, Mr Rockliff argued that there would be “a huge opportunity cost” to Tasmania if a $1 bet limit were introduced, but he failed to acknowledge the significant social and economic costs because of gambling addiction from pokies.
“It is very disappointing to think that the motion moved by Kim Booth MP was lost 5 votes to 19, and that there wasn’t the support that the majority of Tasmanians have called for.”
People Before Pokies, Tasmania will continue to lobby for poker machine reform, despite this opportunity being squandered in State Parliament today.