Legislative Council to Scrutinise Government Approach to Pokies

The Hon. Meg Webb. MLC, Independent Member for Nelson will tomorrow bring on debate on her motion calling on the Government to give Tasmanians the full story about pokies and gaming in Tasmania.

With the Government’s limited consultation on the implementation of their licensing model closing this Wednesday 18 March, Ms Webb says they are denying Tasmanians the chance for proper public debate on the real policy issues.

“The Government’s policy has never been publicly examined and assessed.  The expert advice from the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission says this is the wrong model for our state and risks increasing gambling harm.

“It’s time for the Government to answer the concerns raised in an open and accountable way, well before any legislation is brought to Parliament.

“This is the single point in time we have to make policy and legislation that will reduce the harm caused by poker machines in Tasmania. We aren’t just looking at a model for the next 20 years, if the Government’s individual license proposal goes ahead, this is likely to be our forever model.

“We know from reliable evidence around Australia and overseas that gambling harm exacerbates homelessness, family violence, mental ill-health and can lead to higher rates of crime and imprisonment but we don’t have Tasmanian data about these issues to inform our decision-making.

“For genuinely responsible and sustainable decisions to be made about the future of poker machines in our State what we actually need is the economic and social modelling, research and evidence-base the Government is using to inform their approach.

“We have the opportunity to align with global best-practice approaches to reducing the harm caused by problem gambling and we are wasting that chance with the Government’s industry-written and focused policy.

“It is important not to forget that the big players in the gaming industry are also major donors to the Tasmanian Liberal Party. With this type of influence over government decision-making it is even more critical that we apply proper public and parliamentary scrutiny to this policy so Tasmanians can trust that this model is in their best interests.

“Being elected on a firm pokies reform policy, I want to assure Tasmanians I am doing everything I can in the Parliament to bring proper scrutiny on the issues and to restore confidence and trust in political decision-making.”

Having completed her own comprehensive submission to the Government’s consultation, Ms Webb also reminds anyone who is still intending to respond to the Government Consultation to do so by COB Wednesday 18 March 2020. The Government’s consultation paper is available here – https://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/liquor-and-gaming/gambling/future-gaming-market.

Enquiries to:

Please note the following motion will be discussed by Ms Webb tomorrow, 17 March 2020

Ms Webb to move ⎯

(1) That the Legislative Council notes:

(a) Australia (with the exception of Western Australia), has an approach to poker machine policy and regulation that is significantly different to virtually all similar countries globally, resulting in Australia having:

(i) a disproportionately high number of poker machines per capita;

(ii) a typical style of poker machine that is regarded as ‘high intensity’; and

(iii) a comparatively high level of harm due to the use of poker machines.

(b) Poker machines typically in use in Australia are designed and programmed to include features that increase the likelihood of addiction, with evidence suggesting that normal use of Australian poker machines is likely to cause addiction in one in six users, these features relate to:

(i) spin speed;

(ii) bet limits;

(iii) maximum jackpot;

(iv) near misses;

(v) losses disguised as wins;

and (vi) return to player.

(c) It is possible to modify the design and programming features of poker machines to decrease the likelihood of addiction, and such modifications would have little impact on the recreational use of poker machines by Tasmanians.

(d) The impact of harm caused by poker machine use on Tasmanian health and mental health services, family support services, welfare services, criminal justice system, domestic violence services, housing and homelessness services, productivity and level of unemployment, is not currently measured and monitored by the Tasmanian Government so as to effectively inform policy development and regulation relating to poker machines.

(e) Data available on poker machine use indicates:

(i) at least 23,000 Tasmanians are in at-risk groups (low, moderate and problem gambling);

(ii) one in three Tasmanians personally know someone with a serious problem with gambling on poker machines;

(iii) 79 per cent of Tasmanian Gamblers Help clients have poker machines as their primary form of gambling; and

(iv) 40 – 60 per cent of the money taken by poker machines comes from people addicted to the machines or are classified as at-risk.

(f) The Social and Economic Impact Study (SEIS) 2017 notes limitations to the collection of accurate and reliable data in Tasmania on:

(i) the use of poker machines, including accurate frequency and expenditure; and

(ii) employment figures related to poker machines in hotels and clubs.

(g) To date, the Tasmanian Government has not released and made available for public scrutiny and discussion, modelling on the social and economic impact of the proposed new poker machine licensing arrangements to be introduced in Tasmania in 2023.

(2) The Legislative Council calls on the Tasmanian Government to undertake and publicly release modelling on the social and economic impact of the proposed new poker machine licensing arrangements to be introduced in Tasmania in 2023.

The current Notice Paper for the upcoming sitting of the Legislative Council is available here – https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/lc/lcnote.pdf.