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October 27, 2011
Now why am I not surprised that James Packer wants business-as-usual at Crown Casino. He is opposed to players having to set limits on their losses before they started gambling on high-intensity machines that take large bets.
Packer's reason? This reform wouldn't reduce problem gambling and it will cost jobs and investment across the industry and cost the state government tax revenue used for essential community services. So what is to be done about problem gambling and addiction? Packer doesn't say. The problem gamblers are the means for making profits.
What Packer explicitly denied is that it is problem gambling, not reform, that is wreaking havoc on Australian communities. Abbott steps into fill Packer's breach with his "more counselling", even though the Productivity Commission found that only 15 per cent of problem gamblers seek help.
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Western Australia doesnt have all these machines everywhere and the people still have their jobs,clubs arent closing and the sky isnt falling in.
And guess what! People gamble and have gambling addictions and problems with all the other forms of gambling too.
Its not just all about poker machines.