The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the Australian Greens’ push for a nationwide betting limit of $1, adding that Tasmania need not wait for the Federal Parliament to implement this key harm minimisation strategy.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said the Australian Greens’ push for a betting limit of $1 per spin closely matches concurrent action the Greens are taking in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, where their Bill to introduce a $1 Bet Limit on State pokies is currently being examined by a Parliamentary Committee.

“The imposition of a $1 maximum bet for poker machines is one of the simplest and most effective single harm minimisation strategies available, and could be implemented with a minimum of cost to the industry,” Mr McKim said.

“The Australian Greens push for a national approach complements the efforts by the State Greens to have a $1 Bet limit introduced at a state level, and if the Liberals vote in support of our Bill given they had voted before the last election for a $1 Bet Limit, Tasmania won’t need to wait for the Federal Parliament to act.”

“Last year the Tasmanian Greens took action on problem gambling, tabling an amendment to the Gaming Control Act 1993 to introduce a $1 betting limit on all of the state’s poker machines, which was later referred to a committee.”

“Unfortunately the Liberals still haven’t clarified their position on this key harm minimisation measure, nor whether they are prepared to support the Greens’ Bill in the House of Assembly.”

“Tasmanians alone lose roughly $250 million lost to pokies every year, which is why the Greens support both a $1 bet limit on pokies as well as mandatory pre-commitment, as interim measures toward an eventual ban on poker machines.”

Mr McKim also said that the Australian Greens’ proposals for a $500 maximum jackpot and a $20 limit on the amount of cash held by any one machine were also sensible and pragmatic measures that would help to limit the damage caused by poker machines.

“These proposals are in line with the Productivity Commission’s recommendations on problem gambling and I’m aware that they also have the support of key welfare groups.”

“There is no doubt that the measures proposed by both the Tasmanian and Australian Greens would go a long way to ending the misery that problem gambling brings to addicts and their families,” Mr McKim said.

• $1 bet option is popular: Brown

The option of limiting poker machine bets to $1 and jackpots to $500, as outlined by Australian Greens Senator Richard Di Natale yesterday, has drawn strong public support, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“From charitable organisations to the person in the street, this option has struck a positive chord. People like it. It is simple, effective and much cheaper for clubs and casinos in terms of implementation,” Senator Brown said in Hobart.

“The NSW Gaming Industry Operations Group’s own report, from the University of Sydney, in 2001 found this a good way to tackle problem gambling. So the industry is aware of its benefits.”
“The Greens will be promoting it in the lead up to federal legislation to curb problem gambling next year,” Senator Brown said.