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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1956 ..

MS DUNDAS

around 10 other people by their addiction, including friends, family and workmates; that is, potentially 50,000 people who suffer the consequences of problem gambling in Canberra every year.

I could go on quoting statistics forever; but the point I am making is that problem gambling is the central issue here, and the proliferation of poker machines in the ACT over the last decade has been central to the escalation of this problem.

The ACT Democrats believe that 5,200 poker machines are too many. Why do we need more machines per capita than any other jurisdiction? Why do we need to be nearly double the national average? While this issue has come before the Assembly numerous times, nobody has ever given a satisfactory response to these questions. Do members believe that Canberrans are inherently bigger gamblers than anyone else? Do we believe that Canberrans enjoy gambling more than other Australians do?

We desperately need reform to ensure that our tolerance of gambling does not cause more harm than is necessary. A reduction in the number of poker machines would be a great start.

Secondly, we need to ensure that the regulatory environment emphasises harm minimisation to help reduce the losses, to help problem gamblers give up their addiction and to prevent more Canberrans from becoming gambling addicts.

The review of the Gaming Machine Act conducted by the Gambling and Racing Commission suggested a number of harm minimisation methods for reducing the prevalence and harm caused by problem gambling. This includes the removal of ATMs from gambling venues.

The Productivity Commission report on Australia's gambling industries noted:

The bulk of recreational players never used an ATM in a venue when playing the poker machines, while the large bulk of problem gamblers did so with one in five problem gamblers always doing so.

The removal of ATMs from poker machine venues should be a priority for reform, and I welcome the National Australia Bank's steps in this area.

Other strategies mentioned by the review include warning notices, setting both the maximum stake and the maximum jackpot on the machines, and the removal of note acceptors from machines. A number of technical measures, such as the slowing of the reel spin on machines, have also been put forward.

One particularly promising option is a ban on smoking in gaming venues. A ban on smoking will not only have positive effects on the health of staff and patrons and reduce potential litigation, it could also help reduce problem gambling.

There is the phenomenon called cluster addiction, where addictions to gambling, alcohol and smoking coincide and reinforce one another. As the Reverend Tim Costello said:

The single most effective way to reduce problem gambling is to ban smoking in gaming venues.

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