Sky News – The major parties have been accused of selling out problem gamblers after Labor agreed to help the federal government repeal the first national poker machine reform laws.
Anti-gambling campaigner and Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie described the move as a ‘shocking betrayal’ of the Australian community.
‘Both parties don’t give a toss about problem gamblers and are beholden to their pokies industry political donors,’ Mr Wilkie said.
‘The Labor party is weak and uncaring, and no better than the Liberals, when it comes to gambling reform.’
Last year, the federal parliament passed watered-down measures aimed at curbing problem gambling after two years of vocal opposition from the clubs lobby.
The coalition is now seeking to repeal the legislation including ATM withdrawal limits at clubs and an ACT trial of mandatory precommitment technology.
Mandatory precommitment technology requires gamblers to nominate the amount of money they are prepared to lose on high-loss machines, which can chew through $1200 an hour.
The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 is in the Senate after passing the lower house.
A spokesman for Labor frontbencher Claire Moore told AAP the opposition had offered qualified support for the government’s bill, which also has several other miscellaneous changes to community and welfare programs.
The spokesman said Labor wanted to amend the bill to ensure that pokies venues carrying out voluntary precommitment technology trials can be connected to statewide schemes.
Problem gambling counsellor Kate Roberts told a Senate hearing on Monday that repealing the laws would put their efforts back 15 years.
Gary Hatcliffe told the hearing about struggling with his gambling addiction for 25 years.
He said it would have made a difference if ATMs not been readily available in pokies venues and he had been forced to leave clubs to take out money, thus getting out of the ‘zone’.
