Media release – Guy Barnett, Treasurer; Roger Jaensch, Minister for Community Services; Jane Howlett, Minister for Hospitality and Small Business, 19 November 2024

Government progressing with election commitment to harm minimisation

The Tasmanian Government remains committed to implementing harm minimisation measures to reduce the harm caused by Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) while providing the opportunity for people to exercise their free choice.

A range of harm minimisation measures will be progressed to reduce the harm associated with EGMs while the Government defers progress on a mandatory pre-commitment card.

Minister for Community Services, Roger Jaensch, said the Government is pursuing a range of harm minimisation strategies in line with our election commitment.

“The Government will develop a broader harm minimisation package that may include facial recognition technology (FRT) and other emerging technologies which are now in use in other states and can improve harm reduction outcomes in Tasmania,” Minister Jaensch said.

“We are also investigating how the Tasmanian Gambling Exclusion Scheme can be reformed to support more Tasmanians who need help with their gambling behaviour.

“As part of this package, we will be increasing funding for wrap-around support services so that we can help those who need it. I’m committed to working with community service organisations to ensure the right supports are available.

“We are committed to helping all Tasmanians who have problems with gambling addiction, and by developing a suite of harm minimisation measures, we are confident we can target and assist this small number of Tasmanians.”

Minister for Small Business and Hospitality, Jane Howlett, committed to working with industry to develop a broader suite of harm minimisation measures.

“The Tasmanian Government has determined that implementing other harm minimisation measures is far more practicable, cost-effective for the Tasmanian taxpayer and guarantees that help will be available for those who need it far sooner,” Minister Howlett said.

“Tasmania has the lowest density of EGMs of any state, the lowest spend per capita on EGMs and the lowest prevalence of problem gambling with 0.4 per cent of our adult population having serious issues with gambling.

“However, we are firmly committed to supporting the Tasmanians who need our help.”

The Government made it clear at the recent election that a mandatory card-based gaming system for electronic gaming machines would be implemented as soon as reasonably practicable, and the Government will write to other states to outline how it will monitor the progress of such a system in other jurisdictions.

The Government understands the need to get the balance right between implementing effective harm minimisation measures and regulatory implications and understanding the complexities and costs associated with implementing a mandatory card-based system.

The move follows a report provided to the Government by MaxGaming, which revealed a likely significant cost increase and implementation delays and further outlined the complexity of the proposed card-based system, including the need to create a centralised banking system.

Treasurer, Guy Barnett, will oversee the regulatory component of gaming that sits within the Treasury Department to ensure the appropriate balance is achieved between community harm minimisation, regulation and industry.

“It is important we get the balance right on any EGM reforms,” the Treasurer said.

“I’m confident that with a constructive approach, we can collaborate across portfolios between our critically important community service organisations, industry, and the regulator.

“We made a commitment to Tasmanians to implement new poker machine harm reduction initiatives, and that’s exactly what we will do.”

Editor’s note: MaxGaming is a provider of gaming services in three states. Their website (max.com.au) states that one of their aims is to “Professionally achieve the best outcomes for the industry”.

Media release – Andrew Wilkie, independent MHR for Clark, 19 November 2024

TASSIE GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENT, COLD-HEARTED and SELF-SERVING

The announcement today by the Tasmanian Government that it’s ditching the cashless pre-commitment card for poker machines is all you need to know about the character of this mob. They don’t give a toss about gambling addiction or the harm it causes the community. They’re in the back pocket of the gambling industry.

Moreover they couldn’t care less about the fact that the NSW Crime Commission has found money laundering is commonplace through poker machines and that the only way to rein it in is with cashless play.

Frankly the Tasmanian Government is the most incompetent, cold-hearted and self-serving administration in Australia.

Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 19 November 2024

Rockliff’s Sickening Pokies Backflip

Jeremy Rockliff’s decision to abandon the mandatory precommitment card for poker machines is sickening.

After weeks of dishonesty, denial, and dismissal from the Premier finally we have a concrete answer about his plan for pokies – and it’s terrible news for Tasmania.

Make no mistake – this is a complete abandonment of a policy that should have already been in place this year.
Whatever his other faults, the Michael Ferguson model for pokies would have been nation-leading. It would have saved lives and livelihoods, given kids a better life, benefitted our community, and been better for the economy. What the Premier has announced rips all that to shreds.

The Jeremy Rockliff pokies scheme will entrench disadvantage and poverty among vulnerable Tasmanians. It will ruin families and futures. And as much as you might not want to hear it, it’s no exaggeration to say it will cost lives.

This is a plan for perpetual pokies harm and for profits over people. The Premier has let the pokies lobby win. Again.

Premier Rockliff has made much of his commitment to vulnerable Tasmanians, but with this announcement he’s betrayed them. His legacy will rest on this decision. This craven decision was done to deliver bigger profits to the pokies industry, no matter the cost to the community.

Media release – Kristie Johnston, independent MHA for Clark, 19 November 2024

Gutless and Heartless

The Premier has abandoned Tasmanians and squandered the opportunity to lead the nation by junking his Government’s evidenced-based policy to introduce a pokies’ mandatory player pre-commitment card.

He has failed the moral test to show the sort of backbone and integrity former deputy Michael Ferguson said was necessary for the card. He’s gutless and heartless and lacks integrity.

He knows the useless approach announced today only mops up the harm already caused by pokies.

It’s obvious the THA is running this Government.

They secured big tax cuts to their pokies’ revenue in advance of the introduction of a mandatory player pre-commitment card.

Their profits went up by 40 to 60 per cent.

And now in a gobsmacking coup for greed at the cost of misery they will pocket their pokies tax jackpot having forced the Government to walk away from the card.

I have tabled a motion today calling on the Government to introduce the pokies’ Mandatory Precommitment Player Card as announced by Michael Ferguson in 2022.

Over the last week community organisations have been talking with members of Parliament across the political spectrum.

They have asked me to allow more time before the motion is brought on so that people with lived experience can have their voices heard.

I’m putting on hold calling for debate on the motion though because I’ve listened to community voices, as the Government should be doing.

These are the people most impacted by pokies and it is important they are given this opportunity.

That’s why I’m holding a Parliamentary Briefing on the motion on 25 November at Parliament House for all MPs, especially Mr Rockliff.

Advocates and pokies’ victims will explain how poker machines cause vast harms to Tasmanians and create huge profits from their misery, and how a Mandatory Precommitment Player Card is the best way to reduce that harm.

We need every MPs to hear from real people with real stories of their lived experience with pokies harm – and how it has impacted on their families and communities – and to hear why the card is so important to be introduced as announced in 2022.

I’m disappointed the Premier has shown so far that he is not listening to anyone other than THA and Max Gaming.

This is an important reform, as Mr Rockliff’s former deputy Mr Ferguson says: Tasmania is at a political and moral crossroads over the card.

This is the moment when every member of Parliament needs to show the integrity and backbone Michael Ferguson called for.

Media release – independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb, 19 November 2024

Premier Betrays Tasmanians over Promised Pokies Card

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today condemned the Premier Jeremy Rockliff for betraying the Tasmanian community and breaking an election promise by abandoning the nation-leading evidence-based mandatory poker machine pre-commitment card.

“This is a shameful, cowardly and blatant betrayal of Tasmanians by Jeremy Rockliff, particularly those impacted from pokies related harm,” Ms Webb said.

“The only winner here is the rapacious pokies industry and gaming lobby.”

Ms Webb said Tasmania’s nation leading evidence based mandatory pokies pre-commitment card was recommended by independent bodies such as the Productivity Commission, and the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.

“These independent entities recommended this genuine harm minimisation measure on the basis of evidence that the mandatory pre-commitment card would save lives.

“How do you pretend to balance lives already damaged and the risk of future damage, with increased profits for vested interests?

“The pokies industry has hit a double- jackpot with this backflip by the Premier.

“As detailed by former Treasurer Michael Ferguson in his opinion piece earlier this month, the majority of licensed venues’ gaming profits were up between 40 and 60 per cent in December last year alone, since the introduction of the current licensing arrangements.

“Further, the mandatory pokies card did not impinge on anyone’s choice but as reiterated by Mr Ferguson, the promised card is ‘pro-freedom to play, pro-family and pro-business’.”

Ms Webb said the Premier is wrong when he states today’s craven backflip is in line with the election policy released on February 16, which clearly stated a mandatory precommitment card would be implemented as soon as practicable.

“The independent TLGC has been working on developing the mandatory pokies card since 2022 and is on track to implement it by December 2025.

“The Government release appears to also be a sleight of hand, substituting responsibility for pokies harm minimisation from the Minister for Communities to the Minister for Hospitality.

“Harm minimisation measures must be informed by and developed in partnership with those delivering gambling support services and those with lived experience of poker machine addiction – to sideline those experts in favour of a cosy arrangement between industry and its cheerleading Minister is a telling indication of who is in charge in this state.

“Premier Rockliff clearly does not have the integrity nor backbone to withstand the pressure of the Tasmanian gaming industry as warned by former Treasurer Ferguson.

“Today has seen a disgraceful display of a government thoroughly captured by the pokies industry.”

Media release – Alliance for Gambling Reform, 19 November 2024

Tasmanian poker machine backflip ‘a capitulation’ – Gambling industry capture of State Government complete

The decision by the Tasmanian Liberal Rockcliff Government to backflip on becoming the first state to introduce a poker machine cashless card is an inexcusable capitulation to the power of the gambling lobby.

The Alliance’s Chief Advocate, Tim Costello, said he was shocked and devastated by the announcement by the Tasmanian Government to ‘defer progress’ on the cashless card system.

“To claim that there are technological challenges to implementing this system is complete spin and misdirection. Crown Casino in Melbourne has now implemented a cashless card – they have proven the lie to those who claim it cannot be done,” Rev. Tim Costello said.

“The government has effectively moved to protect the obscene super profits that are being made in Tasmania’s 90 poker machine venues – at the cost of the public of Tasmania who are being devastated by pokies losses.”

Rev. Costello said Tasmania had squandered the chance to lead the nation in poker machine reform.

Australians lose over $32 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita spend in the world and most losses still come from poker machines.