2022-09-20
The Victorian Greens will today push to introduce mandatory pre-commitment betting limits on poker machines across the state.
This afternoon the Upper House will debate and vote on a Government bill – the Casino Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 – that would introduce mandatory pre-commitments at Crown Casino.
However, with Crown accounting for only ten per cent of Victoria’s poker machines, the Greens plan to move amendments to the bill that would extend these reforms state-wide.
Over the 2021-22 financial year Victorian poker machine users lost over $2.2 billion dollars with the average Victorian user losing roughly $2,800.
With record losses in Victoria and the impacts of the pandemic still being felt, the Government should be doing all it can to minimise the effects of gambling harm.
Even if that means standing up to the pokies lobby, who before the 2018 Victorian State Election gave nearly $1 million dollars in political donations to the major parties.
Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC:
"Introducing betting pre-commitments at Crown is an important first step in protecting communities from gambling harm.
“But that only covers around 2,600 of the 26,321 poker machines across the state.
“If the Victorian Labor Government was serious about minimising gambling harm it would introduce these limits everywhere, not just at Crown.
“For too long Labor and the Liberals have failed to prevent the harm to families and communities from pokies because they are too close to the gambling industry.
“Now is the time for this Government to stand up to their gambling industry mates and say ‘enough is enough’."