I've been following the current hoopla surrounding Andrew Wilkie's proposed law regarding mandatory pre-commitment technology on poker machines.
As time passes I'm becoming more sickened by the arguments being pushed by the clubs, pubs and casinos.
If you listen to these worthy institutions, you'd be under the impression that the world as we know it will come crashing down. Grants to community organisations will cease, facilities in clubs will suffer, some clubs may well close.
Taking this argument to its logical conclusion, it's obvious that problem gamblers are all that lays between club viability and disaster.
Thank you problem gamblers! What a selfless bunch you are. Thanks to your wages, home, savings and/or family the rest of us can enjoy a nice cheap Surf'n'Turf in the club bistro and knock back icy cold cheap beer. We can kick back and watch a Neil Diamond look-alike perform in the club auditorium and our kids can play footy in the strip so kindly provided as a gesture toward community spirit.
I don't drink alcohol but I shall raise a nice dewy schooner of coke in your general direction!
What kind of madness has overcome us, petals? To actively promote the evils of gambling as some kind of indispensible benefit to the community is plain wrong on so many fronts. If our coummunity is so dependant on the money sourced from those poor souls with this dreadful affliction then it is a sick society.
I can't even guess the outcome of this particular issue, as we all know it could bring about the fall of the Gillard government. On second thoughts, that's probably not such a bad idea!
As always, my thoughts.
I agreed with your (comical) sentiments. however the only point the clubs make which is valid is that this restriction scheme will only drive the problem underground. Big problem gamblers will just start using alternative means like SP bookies and internet sites - in fact many probably already are. The myth that people go to the club, get pissed and blow their dough is largely a myth. The problem gamblers are habitual and destructive - just like smokers I guess. I would rather see a program that identifies and offers real help to these people. Let's keep them coming out of their house so we can find and help them. Forcing them to stay home and gamble in secret won't help at all
ReplyDeleteYou're right Matt. Untold damage is being done by people who go the TAB for instance.
ReplyDeleteWhat gets me about the whole mess is that the point where mandatory pre-commitment cuts in is over the $120 lost per hour. That's a pretty generous margain, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that someone blowing $120 an hour is still hurting!