Key advocates for change in Australian gaming regulations are urging the creation of a nationwide organization to address the negative impacts of gambling. This call to action follows a recent report showing Australians spent a shocking $11.4 billion AUD (equivalent to $7.74 billion USD!) on electronic gaming machines, known locally as “pokies,” in a single year.
Although losses in the nation’s two most populated states, Victoria and New South Wales, decreased compared to pre-pandemic figures, other states such as Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania experienced a rise in losses. To illustrate the scale, losses in Victoria alone surpassed $2.2 billion AUD, with the typical gambler losing approximately $2,800.
Tim Costello, a leading figure in gambling reform advocacy, worries these losses will continue to escalate despite Australians facing economic hardships. He suggests that individuals under financial strain might view gambling as a solution, a risky fallacy that can worsen their circumstances. This is a concerning pattern, and the demand for a national entity to tackle gambling-related harm is intensifying.
Andrew Costello, a well-known Australian political figure, has suggested the establishment of a nationwide gaming regulatory body to tackle the problem of slot machine dependency. He contends that these devices represent a substantial burden on the Australian financial landscape and contribute to societal and well-being issues. Australia holds a leading position globally in slot machines, with bars and social organizations containing a remarkable 75% of the world’s inventory.
This demand for intervention arises following a cautionary statement from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC). The VGCCC voiced apprehensions that more rigorous protocols on illicit finance and compulsive gambling at Crown Melbourne, a prominent gaming establishment, could result in individuals struggling with gambling and lawbreakers transferring their actions to taverns and associations where regulations are less demanding.