Little Harm Reduction Evident In Gambling Bill

The weakening of the Gambling Harm Reduction Bill is the latest signal that politicians support the interests of the gambling industry and its vested interests over the wellbeing of local communities.

Salvation Army social policy spokesman, Major Campbell Roberts says the Government’s latest proposals have nothing to do with minimising the damage done to communities by gambling.

“The aim of the original bill to give councils and communities the power to reduce the number of pokie machines in their neighbourhoods, or eliminate them altogether, has been largely cancelled out," he says.

“We see the damage done to families by gambling every day across the entire range of our social programmes, and it’s hard to see how politicians can justify continuing the carnage for the sake of a few vested interests.”

Doing away with the bill’s original intention of distributing 80 per cent of gambling machine proceeds to local communities fails to give local authorities more control over gambling operations that the original bill promised, Major Roberts says.

Major Roberts says today’s announcement may provide a much-needed clean-up of the non-casino gambling sector’s conduct but it does not address the most glaring conflict of interests – providing grants to the racing industry.

He says the dilution of the Gambling Harm Reduction Bill has disturbing parallels with the so-called liquor law reforms last year that favoured the liquor industry over the wellbeing of communities.

If the bill is indeed going to reduce gambling harm, as originally intended, then some courageous political leadership is now required, Major Roberts says.

ENDS

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