Government Media Release: Tackling problem gambling in Australia

The Australian Government today took another step forward in its efforts to address problem gambling in Australia.

The Government is concerned that the promotion of live odds during sports coverage can significantly influence vulnerable people, particularly young people, and normalise negative gambling behaviour.

That’s why the Government will work with the sporting and betting industries to reduce and control the promotion of live odds during sports coverage through amendments to their existing industry codes.

If satisfactory amendments are not in place by the end of June 2012, the Australian Government will consider the need for legislation, noting that the measures would not apply to pre-existing contracts for the promotion of live odds during sports coverage as of 1am today.

The Government will also undertake a review of the operation of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, including examining how harm minimisation measures can be improved for online gambling services.

The Australian Government will consult widely with key stakeholders, states and territories, and the broader community in undertaking the review. Terms of Reference for the review will be announced shortly.

These moves are in addition to the progress made at the Council of Australian Government’s Select Council on Gambling Reform today on pre-commitment.

Ministers agreed to support the required infrastructure for pre-commitment technology in all jurisdictions, to be available to all players in all venues.

The Australian Government supports a full pre-commitment scheme starting in 2014, with small venues (gambling venues with 15 or less machines) to have an additional four years to implement the changes.

Our preference remains for the states and territories to deliver these changes and we will continue discussions with the states and territories, through the Select Council, over the next year.

The Government will also begin work on Commonwealth legislation, as agreed with the Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie.

We know that problem gambling destroys Australian families and ruins lives.

Bringing in these changes is no easy task but it is necessary if we are to provide the duty of care we owe thousands of individuals and families whose lives are being ruined by problem gambling.

Media release originally issued on the 27 May 2011 by the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Familes, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Further reading

• Media Release: MA joins campaign to advance poker machine reform
• Getup: Petition for Pokie Reform
• Yesterday's news: Rise in betting on the net a concern
• All gambling related stories from MA
  

Media Release: MA joins campaign to advance poker machine reform

Mission Australia has thrown its support behind a campaign, jointly launched by Independent Tasmanian MP, Andrew Wilkie, and advocacy group, GetUp, to combat attempts to undermine the Federal Government’s planned poker machine reforms.

Clubs Australia recently announced it would spend $20 million on an advertising campaign to have the reforms – announced in an agreement between Wilkie and Prime Minister Julia Gillard in September 2010 – reversed.

The reforms include implementing a $250 daily withdrawal limit for ATMs in venues with poker machines, mandatory pre-commitment betting limits, and support for dynamic warning and ‘cost of play’ displays on machines.

The Wilkie/GetUp campaign seeks to sign up 100,000 names via a petition in support of the reforms. It is designed to combat any success Clubs Australia’s advertising might have in convincing government to reverse or water down its plans.

Mission Australia’s CEO, Toby Hall, said he had written a message to the organisation’s 3,500 staff nationally encouraging them to sign the petition.

“Every year Mission Australia helps more than 300,000 people facing various challenges in their lives – homelessness, addiction, family conflict, mental illness, long-term unemployment,” said Mr Hall.

“I can’t tell you how many people we see who are in one of those situations, or have had their lives and the lives of their families destroyed, as a result of problem gambling.

“It’s too late to get the genie back into the bottle – Australia made a mistake long ago in allowing the expansion of poker machines in almost every state and territory. But what we can do is a far more effective job at combating problem gambling – most of which occurs via poker machines.

“The research is in: problem gambling is out of control in Australia. The Productivity Commission’s independent report recommending measures to tackle the issue are balanced, sensible and should be pursued.

“That’s why I wrote to Mission Australia’s 3,500 staff today to encourage them to sign the Wilkie/GetUp petition.

“Our staff see the tragedy of problem gambling day in and day out. Their efforts help hundreds of problem gamblers back on their feet. I believed this was another way they could make a contribution and I expect the majority to take up the opportunity.

“We all need to do our bit to let the government know we support its plans and to head off any changes,” said Mr Hall.


Further reading

•  Getup: Petition for Pokie Reform
•  Yesterday's news: Rise in betting on the net a concern
• All gambling related stories from MA