[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Problem Gamblers Need Patron Care Now_K Booth MP

greens at parliament.tas.gov.au GREENS at parliament.tas.gov.au
Fri Dec 12 16:23:56 EST 2008


TREASURER MUST COMMIT TO PATRON CARE MEASURES

Problem Gamblers Need More Help Now

Kim Booth MP
Greens Shadow Gaming Spokesperson

Friday, 12 December 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Bartlett Labor Government to
move quickly to strengthen patron care measures for problem gamblers in
Tasmania, after yesterday's Tasmanian Gaming Commission (TGC) report
revealed that the number of problem gamblers in Tasmania has been
underestimated to date, and that further patron care measures could be
established without affecting other gamblers.

Greens Shadow Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the report
specifically identified poker machines as the most dangerous form of
gambling, labelling them as "insidious," and that government
implementation of further patron care measures should focus on this form
of gambling.   

Mr Booth also pointed out that Tasmanian poker machines are amongst the
greediest in the world, stripping up to $700 per hour from losing
Tasmanian gamblers, and called for a massive reduction in allowable
take-rates to a more acceptable $50 per hour, which is apparently the
situation in countries such as Japan.

"The Bartlett Government needs to give serious consideration to lowering
poker machine take-rates, introducing smart-cards, and removing machines
from pubs and clubs where community harm is occurring," said Mr Booth.

"Problem gamblers are a much bigger issue than previously thought and
the Bartlett Government needs to introduce new patron care measures for
this group as a matter of urgency." 

"Poker machines are the crack cocaine of the gambling industry, they are
proven to cause serious social harm, and the community needs the
government to protect them from pokies in the same way that they protect
communities from various other addictive activities such as
cigarette-smoking and illicit drug use."

"Treasurer Michael Aird was part of the same government that extended
the poker machine licence by a further 15 years, after first refusing to
do a social and economic impact study on the negative effects of
gambling, effects that are now coming home to roost in communities
across Tasmania."

"Leaving the decision on improved patron care for problem gamblers up to
Treasurer Aird would be like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood
bank," said Mr Booth.




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