Opinion – Pokies Policy Takes Tasmania in the Wrong Direction

Meg Webb MLC says Tasmanians will be harmed by the Government’s proposed approach to pokies.

Tasmania has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make this state healthier, happier and better off by more effectively regulating poker machines.

The Gutwein government recently released a consultation paper on their approach to regulating poker machines in Tasmania for the next twenty years. And sadly, rather than base their approach on the advice of the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission or on any of the leading evidence about harm reduction, they’ve let industry write their policy for them.

Tasmanians would expect the State Government to use this opportunity for real reform that allows pubs and clubs to operate while effectively stopping the harm from gambling before it occurs.

Virtually no other country puts pokies in local suburbs and allows them to cause so much harm.  With a tiny population, Australia has 20% of the world’s pokies, and a huge 76% of the world’s pokies that are placed outside casinos.

International evidence shows that when it comes to pokies, lower bet limits, slower spin speeds, lower jackpots, no near misses, and pokies only in casinos are the best ways to combat problem gambling. None of these measures are in the Government’s policy.

The well-being of the Tasmanian people should be the top priority for the state government. We should be confident that the Government is choosing the best option for our state for the next twenty years.

Help me be a voice for our community – I want to hear your views and stories on pokies reform so please send them to meg.webb@parliament.tas.gov.au.

You can have your say on the Government’s proposed approach here  https://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/liquor-and-gaming/gambling/future-gaming-market.

FAST FACTS

• Every year pokies take $175 million dollars from Tasmanians
• About half the money taken by pokies comes from people who are addicted
• Poker machines are designed to addict and targeted at low socio-economic areas.
• Removing poker machines from our communities is the most effective way to reduce harm.

QUICK STATS

• 1 in 3 Tasmanians personally know someone that has been seriously harmed by gambling on pokies.
• 4 in 5 Tasmanians want pokies reduced in numbers or totally removed from pubs and clubs.
• At the 2018 state election, 6 out of 10 Tasmanians preferred removing pokies from pubs and clubs

Need some more evidence? Check out the Anglicare Tasmania website and reports – https://www.anglicare-tas.org.au/pokies-cause-harm-key-facts/

Diverse Tassie | March 6, 2020