Pokies claims are lies: Wilkie

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

As the pokies debate 'heats up' in Australia, Andrew Wilkie says 'the poker machine industry has adopted a licence to lie'...

 

"In claiming I want Australians to sign up for a licence to punt, the poker machine industry has adopted a licence to lie.

An estimated 95,000 Australians are poker machine problem gamblers and another 95,000 are at risk of becoming so.

Between 5 and 10 people are affected by each problem gambler. Of the 600,000 Australians who play poker machines weekly, 15 per cent are problem gamblers.

They lose almost $5 billion each year.

Problem gamblers routinely lose everything, including their jobs, family and friends, homes, minds and sometimes even their lives.

Under the reforms poker machines will be fitted with mandatory pre-commitment.

This simply means players set limits on their losses before they start gambling and further play stops when they reach those limits.

Low-intensity poker machines will also be rolled out with $1 maximum bets. These machines will not be fitted with mandatory pre-commitment. Parliament is set to pass the necessary laws, and pokies venues will be given until the end of 2014 to comply.

Venues with 15 machines or less will be given until 2018. Most poker machine players won’t notice a difference. Many are used to carrying loyalty cards similar to pre-commitment cards.

And the 88 per cent of Australians who gamble $1 or less a spin can play the low-intensity machines without a card.

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