The Tasmanian Greens today called for the Treasurer to undertake to investigate the implementation of ‘plain packaging’ for poker machine venues, which is being introduced by the Baillieu government in Victoria.
Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that this reform would assist in breaking the visual lure of positive promotional images used to entice people to keep playing the pokies, just as a similar strategy was developed to counter cigarette addiction.
Mr Booth also acknowledged the release of the State’s second Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania, conducted by the Allen Consulting Group, saying it confirmed that there was much work to be done to continue to tackle problem gambling and its impact on the community.
“The latest Treasury figures showed Tasmanians lost $212,463,531 to poker machines in 2011, with the statistics indicating that Tasmanians lose between $16 million to $18 million per month, and stand to lose more than a billion dollars before Federal Labor’s promised reforms are scheduled to take effect in late 2016,” Mr Booth said.
“There is clearly merit in adopting similar prevention measures as being implemented in Victoria including the pokies plain packaging approach.”
“This will see a ban on the display of dollar signs, gold coins and treasure-chest symbols, and is based on the plain packaging principles being utilised to tackle cigarette addiction.”
“The findings of the second Social and Economic Impact study into gambling in this state reiterate that pokies remain the favoured hook for problem and moderate risk gamblers, with their combined number totalling 47.7% of spending on pokies.’ [1]
“While we continue to wait for federal mandatory pre-commitment reforms all stops need to be pulled out to break the addiction fed by the false lure and glitz of pokies’ bells, whistles, dollar signs and treasure-chests.”
“The Greens will be pursuing plain packaging for pokies to strengthen the state’s harm minimisation toolkit currently in place, while we continue to work towards the implementation of a $1 Bet limit and the eventual roll back of pokies out of the community,” Mr Booth said.
Reference: The Allen Consulting Group, Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre, and the Social Research Centre 2011, Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania: Summary Report; pg 1.
• GREENS CALL FOR LOCAL COUNCILS TO HAVE SAY ON POKIES LOCATION
Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today called for reforms to the state’s Local Government Act 1993 to allow local councils a say on whether poker machines are allowed in their respective municipalities, how many and where they can be located.
Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that the recent Social Economic and Impact Study (SEIS) into Gambling in Tasmania identified a greater intensification of pokies in lower socio economic areas, confirming a long held concern of many within the community.
Mr Booth referred to a Key Finding of the SEIS Report which found: “EGMS [known as pokies] tend to be concentrated in Local Government Areas that have low socioeconomic status (SES).
Expenditure in low SES areas is significantly higher than in comparison areas. Problem gambling, moderate risk gambling and low risk gambling are all higher in low SES areas.” [1]
“The Greens, social welfare agencies and small businesses have all raised concerns over the years that these one-armed bandits are over-represented in the communities that can least afford their presence, which this latest Report confirms,” Mr Booth said.
“We have also raised concerns that this situation is exacerbated by the lack of say that local councils have on the location and number of pokies in pubs and clubs within their municipality,”
“This should be part of the standard planning processes of local councils.”
“We are calling for the Planning and Local Government Minister, Bryan Green, to undertake investigating amending the Local Government Act to allow for local councils and communities to have a direct say in whether, how many and where pokies are allowed in their area.”
“While the Greens appreciate that the Minister did not rule out our proposal, we do urge a more pro-active approach to continue in the push to address the negative impact of pokies on the community.”
“Local councils are currently facing many challenges in revitalising their community centres and attracting businesses, and having a say on whether their areas can cope with pokies in pubs and clubs or not is a critical tool to empower that community.”
“Just as local government has control over the location of a piggery or sewage farm, so they should be able to protect themselves from these pokie dens,” Mr Booth said.
[1] Reference: The Allen Consulting Group, Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre, and the Social Research Centre 2011, Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania: Summary Report; pg 1.
