Tasmanian Association of Community Houses

26 October 2011
for immediate release

Taming the pokies monster

Every week Neighbourhood Houses and Centres across Australia see hundreds of people whose lives are being ruined by gambling prompting the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA) to get behind the proposed new gaming laws and to urge every day Australians to show their support.

“With over 1,000 Neighbourhood Centres across Australia we see the real impacts of gambling every day, particularly on vulnerable families who already struggling with many different issues,” said Merial Clark, Executive Officer, ANHCA.

It’s estimated 95,000 Australians are poker machine problem gamblers while a similar number are currently at risk of becoming so. Between five and 10 people are affected by each problem gambler.

“It is distressing to have someone come to you, full of shame, to ask for help to get food for their family because they have gambled every cent they were paid within hours of receiving it,” said Ms Clark.

“Problem gamblers routinely lose everything including their jobs, family and friends, homes, health and sometimes even their lives. Neighbourhood Houses and Centres deal with this suffering every day and ANHCA supports reforms that respect individuals while assisting them not to end up in this situation.

“Each week around 320,000 people participate at a Neighbourhood Centre and we would like to urge as many people as possible to add their voice to the campaign for poker machine reform,” Ms Clark said.

The proposed reforms will let people set limits on their losses before they start gambling and will help vulnerable people to stop gambling before they lose everything.

Poker machine problem gamblers lose almost $5 billion each year, a staggering figure pointing to the scale of the tragedy associated with poker machines. The 88% of Australians who currently gamble $1 or less per spin will have the option of playing the $1 maximum bet machines not needing a card.

The federal parliament is set to pass the necessary laws by May 2012 and poker machine venues will be given until the end of 2014 to comply. Small venues with 15 machines or less will be given until 2018.

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Contacts:     Merial Clark, ANHCA Executive Officer       0414 351 352

                    John Hooper, ANHCA Treasurer                 0408 320 826