The NSW government must act swiftly to protect the community after a damning report found it is failing to reduce harm from poker machines across the state’s pubs and clubs which cost $8.4billion in losses in just one year.
The NSW Auditor-General’s Regulation of Gaming Machines report also revealed the number of gaming machines across the state has increased in the past two years despite an explicit legislative push to reduce the number of machines.
“While the report’s findings are deeply troubling, they represent the ‘worst kept secret’ that the NSW Government is not concerned about reducing gambling harm and the regulator is failing to do its job in protecting the public from gambling harm,” The Alliance for Gambling Reform, CEO, Martin Thomas, said.
“NSW already has more poker machines in pubs and clubs than any other jurisdiction in Australia, more than any other city in the world, so it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines.”
“It is tragic that $8.4 billion is ripped out of the community by gambling losses going to pubs and clubs – this financial loss mirrors social harm on an industrial scale with broken marriages, domestic violence, health and mental health issues and even suicides.”
Mr Thomas said it was time for the Federal Government to act on the recommendations of a Parliamentary Inquiry into online gambling and create a national gambling regulator to provide greater protection to the public – protections that State regulators are failing to do.
“Moreover, it’s time for the Minns Government to move immediately to introduce a mandatory pre-commitment cardless system of play for poker machines – as recommended by the NSW Crime Commission,” he said.
“This would allow players to set a maximum they want to lose before they play and then the card would lock them out of playing for a period when they reach that limit.
“The NSW Crime Commission said such a system would dramatically reduce gambling harm as well as tackle the billions of dollars of criminal funds being laundered through poker machines across NSW pubs and clubs.”
Australians are the biggest losers in the world when it comes to gambling (per capita), losing more than $31 billion a year. This is not because the Australian culture favours gambling over all others - it is because we have some of the weakest regulations and weakest protections in the world.
Martin Thomas is available for interview on 0477 340 704
About us:
The Alliance is a national advocacy organisation fighting to reduce gambling harm and to give voice to those who have been impacted by gambling.
Contact details:
Martin Thomas is available for interview on 0477 340 704