Social and Economic Impact Study Report, The Federal Group

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http://cdn-src.tasmaniantimes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/files/HANNA%20-%20FEDERAL%20REPORT%20TO%20PROD.%20COMM.%20-%20MAY,%202014.pdf

• Greg James, in Comments: This is a report that is misnamed. There is very little evidence provided and what is local evidence is mainly anecdotal. It really should be titled ‘Exploitation and Planned Ignorance’. The report ignores the fact that Casinos are an old tired industry, with an ageing customer base. It almost ignores the industry disruption caused by the internet and online gaming and that youth are wiser in their waste of disposable income than the stupidest of the Baby Boomers losers. These are people are sucked in by bells and whistles that produce nothing but a loss for the punter and no known benefit.

• ABC: Tasmanians lose more than $200 million on pokies in 13 months Major parties have been urged to reject donations from gambling-related companies as new figures show Tasmanians lost about $207 million on poker machines over the past 13 months. Tasmanian Treasury figures indicated an average of about $16 million was lost each month on the state’s 3,500 pokies. The Tasmanian Greens estimated about a third of poker machine revenue, or about $69 million, went to the Federal Group, which had monopoly ownership of poker machines in Tasmania. … Companies linked to the Federal Group donated $20,000 each to the Tasmanian Liberal and Labor parties last financial year according to figures published by the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday. Greens Leader Kim Booth said the Liberal and Labor parties should stop accepting donations from companies with gambling-related interests. “Both Liberal and Labor are compromised on that,” he said. “They should send the donations back to the people who own these machines and act appropriately and responsibly as they should do in parliament to rid Tasmanians of the scourge and protect vulnerable Tasmanian families who are losing their homes as a result of pokie addiction.” The Greens want to remove all poker machines from pubs and clubs.