The Australian Gambling Debate Rolls On
In the ongoing investigation in to the Australian gambling business, the head of the gambling subsidiary of Woolworths has made the remarkable claim of pokies being similar to hamburgers – in that they are both liable to have addicts regarding them, but in the majority of peoples’ hands they are entirely safe and are simply a pleasurable activity. This latest sound byte is just one in a long stream that are being tossed about by the different sides in this debate – sound bytes that they hope will sway the public opinion in their favour.
This large inquiry was initiated from the very top of the Australian government, with the Prime Minister herself ordering the investigation in to problem gambling throughout the country. Don’t be fooled though, as this was undoubtedly not a moral act – she was more interested in gaining the support of Andrew Wilkie, whom she sees as a candidate to form a minority government with.
The Woolworths group has hit back though regarding the limiting of gambling throughout the nation, as they say that it will likely cost them about 20% of its gambling revenue. This would represent a huge hit to the company as a whole, as they say that their gambling side of the business is one of the areas that they see the highest profit margin in at the moment.
In a further announcement regarding the possible legislation regarding gambling in Australia, Woolworths made a less than veiled threat. They stated that should they find themselves being governed by more restrictive rules, they would be forced in to withdrawing much of the $36 million that it spends on charity ventures every year.
In terms of the national monetary interest, many have questioned the amount of money that would be needed to implement this new legislation on gambling. The current estimate of cost stands at around $1.5 billion, which a lot of citizens believe could be used far more effectively in other areas.
The head of the Gaming Technologies Association – Ross Ferrar – has also weighed in with his own take on this proposed new system. He states that it would be like “an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” and that the new regulations would in fact hit the recreational gamblers harder than those that do have a problem.
His suggestions focussed on more immediate measures that would speak directly to those that have a problem with gambling. One of many measures that he suggested was to have a message that appears in front of the compulsive gambler and therefore means that they are warned of their habit’s possible side effects.
Whether this new legislation manages to make its way through the government remains to be seen, but it has certainly got the online pokies companies worried about their profits for the upcoming financial years. The question really has to be asked though – is the regulation of the gambling industry really the top priority for the government at this current time?
Tags: Australian gambling, Pokies reform, Woolworths
This entry was written by Jamie on Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 3:28 am and is filed under News.
