Impact of COVID-19 on online gambling not yet known: Tasmanian government

Responding to questions from Nelson independent MLC Meg Webb in the Legislative Council on Thursday, Leader of the House Leonie Hiscutt said the government did not have possession of any research into additional levels of risk from gambling during the relativity brief period since gambling venues closed to patrons in March.

“It is difficult to obtain data on the level of online gambling by persons based in Tasmania,” Ms Hiscutt said.

“This is due to the different forms of online gambling, the cross-border nature of the service, that some people are gambling on illegal overseas sites and the limited availability of industry data.

“While some data from online gambling tax in Tasmania is available, information on the volume of spend of Tasmania on other products offered online, such as Keno and lotteries, is difficult to obtain.

“It is too early to draw any meaningful conclusions from the limited data available.”

Ms Hiscutt said the state’s point of consumption tax, which applies to all wagering and betting types offered to customers in Tasmania, had limited use in showing trends in online gambling before and during COVID-19 due to a lack of historical data and the fact the tax does not separate the reporting of online and terrestrial gambling through TAB terminals.

“However, based on those sources the POC tax revenue for the year to date to the 30th of April, 2020, is tracking to budget with no noticeable spikes relating to increased activity,” she said.

“The Gaming Support Program is working closely with gambling help specialist support providers to monitor changes in demand, volume and client needs, as well as collecting anecdotal information about clients’ experiences throughout COVID-19.

“The GSP is monitoring emerging academic and economic studies focused on the effects of COVID-19 on gambling, including potential shifts to online gambling.”

Ms Hiscutt confirmed the government had not allocated any additional funds to gambling support services for proactive outreach or for public health education campaigns related to gambling during COVID-19.

“Support providers have reported a decrease in the number of people accessing gambling specialist support services and are redirecting existing capacity, including undertaking proactive support, to existing and recent clients and their families as appropriate,” she said.

Ms Webb said 10 weeks after the closure of gaming rooms the government had failed to reach out in any additional or targeted way to tens of thousands of Tasmanians impacted by gambling problems who it knew would be affected by this closure.

“We can imagine that people with an addiction to poker machines would be experiencing particular stress during this time of closure and isolation,” Ms Webb said.

She questioned where advertisements and public messaging through media and social media explicitly offering support to those with gambling problems during the COVID-19 shutdown was.

“Still in the pipeline apparently. Too late. The government has failed vulnerable Tasmanians on the pokies front yet again,” she said.