Government pokies bill means little for problem gamblers: Greens

Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that the Greens cannot guarantee their support for the Government’s pokies legislation its current form.

“This minority parliament provides an opportunity to achieve something meaningful for pokies machines and I don’t want to just throw that away,” said Senator Di Natale.

Greens’ spokesperson for gambling and sport, Senator Richard Di Natale, today welcomed reports that the AFL has offered to help clubs sell off their holdings in pokies.

“The AFL has made the right call in offering to help their clubs get out of the pokies industry,” said Senator Di Natale.

“The AFL has demonstrated once again that it is a leader among the sporting codes, especially in comparison to the NRL, which joined with Clubs Australia’s deceptive and misleading campaign against pokies reform.

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says a study released today by the Salvation Army emphasises the need for a review of our social security system.
 
The Salvation Army’s study, ‘Economic and social impact of cost of living pressures on people accessing emergency relief’ shows the significant and far-reaching impacts of financial hardship.
 
“A very high percentage of people needing emergency relief are doing without the essentials,” Senator Siewert said today.
 

At the start of Responsible Gambling Awareness Week, Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, poses the question of who really needs to take responsibility.

“Personal responsibility is an important message this week,” said Senator Di Natale. “However as a health professional who has worked in addiction medicine, I know that personal responsibility becomes much more complex when addiction is at play.

Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that the Greens have a solution for Tony Abbott’s new found concern for problem gamblers.

“It’s been astounding to see Tony Abbott feigning concern that the schoolkids’ bonus could be wasted on the pokies,” said Senator Di Natale.

Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, said that meaningful pokies reform was back on the agenda following the Speaker’s decision to stand aside.

“This parliament may be the best opportunity we will have for decades to do something meaningful on pokies and people are desperate to see change.”

A new poll demonstrates that 83% of people want $1 bet limits on poker machines if mandatory pre-commitment is not implemented.

 Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that it was obscene to see Clubs Australia gloating about their campaign against meaningful pokies reform.
 
“The Government’s watered-down pokies reforms achieve absolutely nothing,” said Senator Di Natale.
 
“You only have to look at Anthony Ball gloating about his successful campaign for proof that a cashed-up lobby group has managed to trump good government policy, yet again.
 

Greens’ gambling spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale, along with Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, and DLP Senator for Victoria, John Madigan, will introduce legislation into the Senate today for $1 maximum bets on poker machines.

The bill outlines that all new machines after December 31, 2012 would have to be capable of restricting maximum bets to $1 and jackpots to $500. This would reduce average losses from $1200 an hour to $120.

40% of the revenue that goes through these machines can be attributed to the problem gamblers. The harm this causes the community is enormous. As money is taken out of family budgets the social costs add up, and are estimated at $4.7b per year.

The Greens’ policy of limiting bets to $1 is a simple reform that won’t affect most players, but will help problem gamblers limit their losses. This commonsense change will bring poker machines back into line with other forms of recreational activity, and will do so over a timeframe that is realistic, affordable and fair to industry.

Greens support for the Government’s pokies legislation in its current form is not guaranteed, said Greens’ gambling spokesperson Senator Richard Di Natale, today.

“The Government’s proposed legislation gives nothing more than the veneer of action and could actually put the cause of real reform back for years.