Gambling
The Australian Democrats believe the nature and extent
of gambling in Victoria has changed for the worse
since the wholesale introduction of electronic gaming
machines (EGMs) and that the State government has
become far too reliant on gambling revenue. This is
concerning, particularly in an era of state budget
surpluses.
The Democrats are committed to:
- Reduce the number of Electronic Gaming Machines.
- Limit the hourly amount gamblers can lose.
- Offer counselling services at gambling venues.
- Support a harm minimisation approach to gambling
which includes preserving or extending existing
measures such as natural lighting, presence of time
pieces, warnings on machines, and availability of
information for problem gambling support services.
Introduction
The 1999 Productivity Commission's Report No. 10
Australia's gambling Industries, found that around
290,000 Australians or 2.1% of the adult population
are "problem gamblers", 76,000 of them in Victoria. On
average these problem gamblers lost around $12,000
each year, compared with about $650 for other
gamblers. The same reported noted that approximately
70% of people believed that gambling did more harm
than good.
The Uniting Church estimates that around 30,000
families in Victoria have been harmed by problem
gambling. It has also led to a rise in crime; court
records show that last year people with gambling
problems were convicted of stealing more than $11.7
million.
We note that in many localities, gaming venues are
open 24 hours a day, and are certainly open longer
than any other services. In many low-income areas,
'pokies' become the only form of recreation readily
available in a social setting at night. Till the
development of more diverse recreational opportunities
in such areas, gambling will continue to be a social
and economic problem.
The Australian Democrats acknowledge that the issue
of gambling cannot be considered in isolation from
other issues such as state government revenue and
urban planning and infrastructure.
Action
In Victoria, the Democrats will:
- Support a reduction in the maximum number of EGMs
from the current 27,000 to no more than 15,000
- Give greater powers to local government to regulate
the introduction, operation, and opening hours of
gaming venues to stop the practice of placing the
majority of machines in low-income areas.
- Support the removal of automatic teller machines and
EFTPOS facilities from all buildings with a gambling
license.
- Require mandatory community consultation on possible
social and economic impacts on affected regions before
any further introduction of EGMs.
- Implement staff codes of conduct at gaming venues
that require staff to monitor and, if necessary,
restrict excessive gambling behaviour, just as they
currently monitor and restrict excessive gambling.
- Ban note-taking machines.
- Legislate to establish a limit on the amount of
money that may be lost per hour and reduce the
intensity of play.
- Prohibit the targeting of vulnerable groups in the
community by such promotional tactics as courtesy
buses visiting particular localities to transport
patrons free-of-charge to gaming venues.
- Conduct youth education campaigns on the risks of
gambling, including a basic understanding of
statistics necessary to understand the odds involved
in gambling.
- Facilitate access to counselling and support
programs for problem gamblers and those with dual
addictions to heroin or other drugs and gambling.
- Support the restructure of the regulation of
gambling in Victoria to avoid the current conflict of
interest in the Victorian casino and gaming Authority
whereby it is both regulator and promoter of the
industry.
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