...Press Release...

September 21, 2007

Kiwi support for Aussie problem gambling initiative

People are breaking the silence about the great pokie con all over the world says the Problem Gambling Foundation.

Australians have a reputation as great punters who will bet on two flies crawling up a wall says CEO John Stansfield.

But even there the damage done to communities saturated with pokies is starting to come home to roost.

The Australian Green Party spokesperson on gambling, MP Lee Rhiannon, is calling for a gambling summit to allow politicians, experts and the community to bring forward solutions to a growing crisis.

This follows a move by the Rabbitohs to get rid of pokies and the head of the NRL, David Gallop, saying their long term aim is to see pokies gone from all league clubs.

Mr Stansfield says he has seen the Australian problem first hand and congratulates the Australian Greens for taking leadership on the issue.

"Australians are waking up to the facts about pokies," he says.

"They are realising that 30-50% of pokie spending is done by problem gamblers and starting to make the links between this and poverty, crime, suicide and other social problems.

"The situation is a bit similar to here. Political parties have been taking money from the gambling industry and the tax take from gambling is large.

"Australians are getting suspicious that some of their politicians are compromised and community leaders are starting to speak out.

"There is an international pokie epidemic and communities around the world need to learn from each other how to deal with it.

"The gambling industry has been running a huge con which is dependant on the shamed silence of its victims and public misinformation about the true nature of its products.

"It is heartening to see people in one of the worst affected countries calling their government and the gambling industry to account".

ENDS

© Scoop Media