[Greens-Media] Govt and Coalition back gambling industry, vote down ATM ban and wider local impact assessments

[Lee Rhiannon]

MEDIA RELEASE
26 November 2008


Govt and Coalition back gambling industry, vote down ATM ban and wider
local impact assessments

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says the government's new gaming machine laws
passed today are an opportunity lost and fail to make deep cuts to poker
machine numbers. 

Greens amendments to ban ATMs from gaming venues and always require a
local impact assessment where a venue is set to increase the number of
poker machines were voted down by the government and the Coalition.

"The Gaming Minister sold these new laws as reducing poker machine
numbers but really they just maintain the status quo", Ms Rhiannon
said.

"The government missed an important chance to overhaul the regulation
of gaming machines in NSW and cut numbers. This bill will not reduce
problem gambling.

"Experts report that while the overall number of gaming machines have
reduced slightly in NSW the intensity of use has increased.

"The new cap is a reduction in name only. The laws also gives clubs a
leg up by lifting the cap on the number of gaming machines a club can
have, opening the way to mega clubs.

"Labor and the Coalition voted against the Greens amendments to ban
ATMs from licensed gaming machine venues. 

"Earlier this year following pressure from Prime Minister Rudd
Victorian Premier Brumby agreed to ban ATMs in poker machine venues in
that state from 2012.
 
"Research shows problem gamblers use ATMs in licensed venues at twelve
times the rate of non-gamblers and five times higher than
*recreational" gamblers. 

"ATMs in poker machine venues feed the compulsive behaviour of problem
gamblers. 

"While banning ATMs may cause some minor inconvenience for non-gambling
patrons it is critical to cut off a ready source of cash for problem
gamblers.

"The Greens sought to amend the laws to require a local impact
assessment where a new venue with poker machines sets up, a venue is
moved to another location or where poker machine licenses are to be
transferred between venues in the same LGA.

"These new gaming laws fail to take an evidence based public health
approach and show the government is continuing to treat gambling as a
revenue tap," Ms Rhiannon said.

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