PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION DEBUNKS POKIES INDUSTRY CONCERNS

Postcard urging the Premier to implement a state-based $1 bet limit on pokies, over 200 of which have been received and presented to the Premier today by Kim Booth MP.

Wrong Assumptions Underpin Costs of $1 Bet Limit Change to Machines

The Tasmanian Greens today used Parliamentary Question Time to challenge gaming industry claims that it will cost too much to alter pokie machines to accept a $1 Bet limit.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP also hand delivered to the Premier over 200 individual signed postcards from constituents urging the immediate implementation of a state-based pokies $1 Bet limit.

“The Assistant Commissioner, Dr Lattimore, of the Productivity Commission gave evidence before the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry in February this year that the assumptions underpinning industry estimates to alter poker machines is flawed,” Mr Booth said.

An excerpt of Dr Lattimore’s evidence states; “… fundamentally all you are doing to create a lower bet limit machine is to alter the value of a credit in the machine… I think there would be difficulties logistically to bring something immediately into play, but from the point of view of designing a machine with a dollar bet limit I do not see it as a significant technological shift.” [1]

“This is critical evidence which completely debunks the pro-industry, pro-status quo campaign.”

“Repeatedly we have been subjected to desperate claims of poverty from the pokies barons that to alter pokie machines would incur prohibitive costs. According to the Productivity Commission this is a wildly exaggerated claim.”

“It debunks industry’s claims, and it rips the carpet out from beneath both Labor and Liberal who have used this complaint to justify their refusal to take immediate action to tackle pokies.”

“There is no further excuse. We have around 200 million reasons why Tasmania should go it alone and implement a state-based $1 Bet limit on pokies.”

“Tasmanians have a right to expect both Labor and Liberals to take seriously this evidence of February this year, which is more current than the evidence provided by Federal hotels to the State Inquiry that both parties are hiding behind, and reconsider their blind opposition to a $1 Bet limit.”

“Today I also hand delivered to the Premier over 200 individually signed post cards that members of the public took the time to sign and provide to me to highlight how urgently they believe this pokies reform must occur.”

“More of these cards are still arriving in my office, and is testimony of how passionately Tasmanians feel about this issue. People wanted to do more than merely sign a petition, and these cards reflect a conversation had, a commitment made by the volunteers who went out doorknocking, as well as constituents who signed, stuck on a stamp and sent them back.”

“This issue will not go away, no matter how long Labor, Liberal and Federal Hotels keep their respective heads buried in the sand,” Mr Booth said.

The Greens will be bringing on for debate their Gaming Control Amendment ($1 Bet Limit) Bill, today, commencing at 12 noon with the vote occurring at 2:50pm.

[1]Reference: Federal Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform, 22 February 2013: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=COMMITTEES;id=committees%2Fcommjnt%2F541a33fd-36cb-4007-925e-751f33b73397%2F0002;query=Id%3A%22committees%2Fcommjnt%2F541a33fd-36cb-4007-925e-751f33b73397%2F0000%22
Kim Booth MP Greens Gaming spokesperson Wednesday, 22 May 2013