Latest news with #AllianceforGamblingReform
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
'Virtually no oversight' of suburban poker machine dens
A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming. A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming. A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming. A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
'Virtually no oversight' of suburban poker machine dens
A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
'Virtually no oversight' of suburban poker machine dens
A scathing report has found regulators of Australia's biggest poker machine network have failed harm minimisation efforts. In what gambling reform advocates label "the worst kept secret", the NSW auditor-general found regulators were not reviewing licensing conditions once granted and did little to force venues to take meaningful actions when problem gambling was noticed. Some 21 venues in NSW have more than 400 machines, but just two have had their licensing conditions reviewed since July 2019 - when applying for operations changes. Four of the five most-profitable gaming venues were in high-risk gambling harm areas but have not had their risk or harm minimisation measures reviewed in at least a decade, the report said. Premier Chris Minns campaigned on gambling reform at the 2023 election, but the number of poker machines has increased in NSW to 87,749. Profits meanwhile hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. That delivered $2.3 billion in tax revenue, a figure tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said the government was not concerned about reducing gambling harm, shown by the regulator "failing to do its job". "NSW already has more poker machines than any other jurisdiction, more than almost any other part of the world," Mr Thomas told AAP. "So it is appalling that the numbers of machines is still increasing despite the rhetoric about reducing the number of machines." NSW had half of all Australian pokies in 2022/23 - with three times as many machines per capita than Victoria. Defending Labor's record, Gaming Minister David Harris pointed to measures including reducing cash input limits, banning external gaming-related signage and introducing responsible gambling officers for venues with more than 20 pokies. But the report found some of the measures, including gradually reducing the number of machines based on forfeiture rates, had not worked. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the report, combined with the forecast growth in taxes from pokies losses, showed NSW was "addicted to poker machine revenue". "Gambling harm reduction advocates have been warning for a long time that the gambling industry has been allowed to operate with virtually no government oversight," she said. "And the report confirms this." Venues in western Sydney, including in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland council areas, had the highest pokies losses, with those three combining to lose $1.9 billion in the year to June 2024. That is almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the state's total losses, despite containing 10 per cent of the NSW population. "In western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines," Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said. An independent panel last year recommended statewide account-based systems by 2028 to prevent money laundering and reduce problem gambling. The recommendation echoed a 2022 crime commission report that lifted the lid on the billions of dollars of dirty money being funnelled through pokies. The former coalition government went to the 2023 state election promising mandatory cashless gaming.
Perth Now
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Gambling reform advocates up pressure in marginal seats
Gambling harm advocates are ramping up pressure on major parties in marginal seats as documents reveal a go-slow on government talks. Paid posts comparing candidate stances on banning ads have targeted three key electorates: Gilmore in NSW, Brisbane in Queensland and Deakin in Victoria. At least 20,000 voters in each seat have been reached ahead of the May 3 election, the Alliance for Gambling Reform says. Labor has no public policy but has previously floated bans on gambling ads during live sports and hourly caps outside that, alongside a social media crackdown. The coalition has proposed banning gambling ads during sports broadcasts, including an hour either side of the games. The Greens support a full ban in line with the recommendations from a landmark inquiry into gambling harms chaired by a late Labor MP. The anti-gambling alliance is ramping up spending in the Greens-held seat of Brisbane, which Labor and the Liberals are trying to win, as well as in the Liberal-held north Queensland seat of Leichhardt. The group has also targeted the Liberal-held regional seat of Wannon in Victoria. It's a relatively modest campaign, with the alliance spending just under $4200 on Facebook advertising in the month to April 25, according to publicly available data. "We are conscious there are a number of MPs in the major parties that have gone beyond the policies of the party," the alliance's chief executive Martin Thomas told AAP. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland delayed releasing gambling reforms in late 2024, saying further consultations were needed. Documents produced for the Senate show months of lobbying from wagering companies in the lead-up to the draft policy being shelved. A freedom of information request suggests a go-slow in the months afterwards, with no consultation reports prepared by the department since a 50-page summary in mid-September. Consultation summaries were prepared for cabinet in July and October 2023 and in January and September 2024, according to a schedule of policy documents released to AAP. Outside data calculations and impact analysis in November 2024, nothing else was prepared for the minister by her department through to February, which was the time frame of the freedom of information request. The government took seriously its responsibility to protect Australians from the harms of online gambling, Ms Rowland told AAP. She pointed to various actions including introducing a self-exclusion register and banning credit cards. There were private concerns within Labor ranks about sporting codes and commercial TVs running a negative campaign against the government if it went too hard on sports gambling ads, which would impact their revenues. Labor's inaction drew scorn from independent MPs, who accused the government of kowtowing to vested interests. The prime minister was putting gambling profits ahead of the wellbeing of people, especially young people, crossbench senator David Pocock told AAP. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
West Australian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Gambling reform advocates up pressure in marginal seats
Gambling harm advocates are ramping up pressure on major parties in marginal seats as documents reveal a go-slow on government talks. Paid posts comparing candidate stances on banning ads have targeted three key electorates: Gilmore in NSW, Brisbane in Queensland and Deakin in Victoria. At least 20,000 voters in each seat have been reached ahead of the May 3 election, the Alliance for Gambling Reform says. Labor has no public policy but has previously floated bans on gambling ads during live sports and hourly caps outside that, alongside a social media crackdown. The coalition has proposed banning gambling ads during sports broadcasts, including an hour either side of the games. The Greens support a full ban in line with the recommendations from a landmark inquiry into gambling harms chaired by a late Labor MP. The anti-gambling alliance is ramping up spending in the Greens-held seat of Brisbane, which Labor and the Liberals are trying to win, as well as in the Liberal-held north Queensland seat of Leichhardt. The group has also targeted the Liberal-held regional seat of Wannon in Victoria. It's a relatively modest campaign, with the alliance spending just under $4200 on Facebook advertising in the month to April 25, according to publicly available data. "We are conscious there are a number of MPs in the major parties that have gone beyond the policies of the party," the alliance's chief executive Martin Thomas told AAP. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland delayed releasing gambling reforms in late 2024, saying further consultations were needed. Documents produced for the Senate show months of lobbying from wagering companies in the lead-up to the draft policy being shelved. A freedom of information request suggests a go-slow in the months afterwards, with no consultation reports prepared by the department since a 50-page summary in mid-September. Consultation summaries were prepared for cabinet in July and October 2023 and in January and September 2024, according to a schedule of policy documents released to AAP. Outside data calculations and impact analysis in November 2024, nothing else was prepared for the minister by her department through to February, which was the time frame of the freedom of information request. The government took seriously its responsibility to protect Australians from the harms of online gambling, Ms Rowland told AAP. She pointed to various actions including introducing a self-exclusion register and banning credit cards. There were private concerns within Labor ranks about sporting codes and commercial TVs running a negative campaign against the government if it went too hard on sports gambling ads, which would impact their revenues. Labor's inaction drew scorn from independent MPs, who accused the government of kowtowing to vested interests. The prime minister was putting gambling profits ahead of the wellbeing of people, especially young people, crossbench senator David Pocock told AAP. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
