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April 14, 2011
I have been watching the debate around the introduction of mandatory limits on gambling in the pub-clubs sector and I applaud Andrew Wilkies' attempts to ensure that this happens at pokies' venues in order to curb problem gambling.
He says that he will withdraw his support for, and hence collapse, the Gillard government by this time next year if it has not passed legislation giving the Commonwealth the power to force the states to comply with the betting limits.
Some hotels, from what I can gather, rely on poker machines for 70 to 80 per cent of their earnings whilst several Victorian AFL clubs (eg., Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn) have pinned their financial security to growth in the gaming machine sector. The clubs, continue to present themselves as supporting the communities in which they do so much damage.
Labor has promised to introduce laws requiring poker machine players to commit on how much they will spend by 2014 in exchange for independent MP Andrew Wilkie's support in forming its minority government. The pub-clubs sector is outraged at the proposed Wilkie-Xenophon legislative reforms, and it is committed to preventing the introduction of the legislation.
Wilkie faces an uphill battle with his legislative reforms in terns of finding support in the House of Representatives. The Liberals are opposed as is the NSW state government. That leaves the Independents who currently look as if they have cold feet, even though the proposed reforms are reasonable.
As Tim Costello points out in The Age the proposed reforms are not a ban:
The government's proposal is to require players to set loss limits before they start playing. Once over that limit, they are locked out of further play from all machines. It gives them back control by forcing them to not just chase their losses or believe they are just one win away from not having a problem. Clubs and pubs know that 40 per cent of their revenue comes from problem gamblers (the finding of the Productivity Commission) and do not want their revenues affected by giving players more control.
Innocent people are being hurt by the pokies from the ripple effects of crime and family suffering. A card curtails the damage as it locks players out once they cross their own set limits.
The Clubs and Hotel sector sound like the Tobacco industry.
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No doubt this will be an unpopular view... but...
I've given up on some of my fellow citizens. As in the case of people who enlist in our military... I have come to the conclusion that anyone reckless/desperate/misinformed enough to get into these situations has only themselves to blame if it goes horribly wrong.
There are lots and lots of things in this world that are almost GUARANTEED to turn unpleasant. So, ya makes yer choices...