Key players in Australian gaming regulation advocacy are pushing for a nationwide gambling detriment regulatory body. This comes in response to a recent analysis showing Australians lost in excess of $11.4 billion AUD (equivalent to $7.74 billion USD!) on electronic gaming machines in a twelve-month period. They contend that a unified strategy across the national government and individual states and territories is urgently required.
Although expenditures on gaming machines (known as “pokies” in Australia) decreased in Victoria and New South Wales relative to pre-pandemic figures, possibly due to lockdowns and limitations, other regions experienced growth. Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania all demonstrated increased spending on pokies compared to 2018/2019. Alarmingly, in Victoria alone, losses surpassed $2.2 billion AUD, with the typical gambler losing approximately $2,800.
It’s crucial to understand that this information, gathered by the experts at Monash University’s Gambling and Social Determinants Unit, concentrates solely on those machines located in bars and social clubs. It doesn’t even factor in casinos!
Tim Costello, a leading advocate for gambling reform, expresses concern that these financial setbacks will persist in their upward trajectory despite the strain of escalating living expenses and stagnant salaries. “Unfortunately, it escalates when individuals are under duress,” Costello elaborated. “They’re either seeking an escape through pokies, or they’ve arrived at a point of desperation where they rationalize, ‘I’m already in dire straits, I might as well gamble.”
A lawmaker from Australia is expressing concern about the widespread presence of slot machines within the nation, advocating for a dedicated national organization to investigate their consequences. He emphasizes that Australia possesses a disproportionately large quantity of these devices, accounting for 75% of the global total found in bars and social clubs.
This cautionary statement follows a report issued by Victoria’s gambling regulatory body, which proposes that stricter measures against casino gaming might inadvertently redirect at-risk gamblers and illicit activities to less supervised settings such as pubs and clubs.
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