Question – Gambling Harm and Domestic Violence

Questions by Hon Meg Webb MLC on 31 Oct 2019 answered for the Govt by the Hon Michael Ferguson MP Minister for Finance  on 31 Oct 2019  

Australian research has found a statistically significant correlation between poker machine density and police-recorded domestic violence rates among postcodes. Further, research in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania has shown that more than half the people receiving problem gambling treatment have recent experience of domestic violence, either as survivors or perpetrators.

With the Government intending to keep poker machines in Tasmanian local communities for a further 20 years beyond 2023:—

Questions:

1. Has the Government assessed and quantified the extent to which gambling harm has contributed to date to the level of family violence and cost of family violence services in Tasmania?
2. Has the Government modelled the likely contribution of gambling harm to our state’s future level of family violence and cost of family violence services under the proposed new licencing model?
3. (a) Do Government-funded family violence services collect data about the presence of gambling harm for people seeking assistance for family violence; and (b)   if not, why not?
4. Does the Government have other data sources that quantify or indicate the co-occurrence of family violence and gambling harm in this state?

ANSWER: Tasmania, like all other Australian jurisdictions, recognises that homelessness, family violence and resorting to crime are complex social issues that stem from a range of contributing factors, and it would be misleading to isolate any one factor as the cause.

Homelessness and family violence services have screening tools to assess the needs of clients, which includes some financial information. The screening processes ensure that people engaged with these services are provided with appropriate and relevant support.

Analysis of the extent of crime leading to court-imposed sentences is challenging, due to an absence of specific data collection associated with gambling-related crime.

The Government is supporting people at-risk of problem gambling through a range of harm minimisation measures targeted at industry, the community and  the  individual.  These measures which are some of the strongest nationally  and  will  remain  under  the  proposed new licensing model, include:

• The Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission’s Responsible Gambling Mandatory Code of Practice for Tasmania and rules for gambling operators;
• Community education and support services, including counselling, funded under the Community Support Levy and administered by the Gambling Support Program;
• The Tasmanian Gambling Exclusion Scheme, which requires people wanting to self-exclude to speak with a counsellor in recognition of the co-morbidity factors generally present for problem gamblers;
• The National Consumer Protection Framework for online gambling; and
• A three-yearly study on the economic and social impact of gambling in Tasmania.