Anti Gambling Campaign Australia
Current community awareness efforts include a problem gambling campaign called 'Gambling too much?' And the annual Queensland Responsible Gambling Awareness Week (RGAW). Harm minimisation campaigns are informed by gaming research, including the Queensland household gambling survey. It's time to end Australia's gambling addiction! WE'RE IN IT TOGETHER. Whether it's supporting a local community fighting a pokie application, a state-wide campaign to change poker machines laws or demanding national policy reform to curb sports gambling- we're stronger together. Clubs Australia claims the federal government's plan, which includes a requirement for gamblers to carry cards to set gambling limits, is un-Australian and will cost jobs. The group's chief executive, Anthony Ball, says the cards are a licence to punt and won't curb gambling addiction.
ANTI-pokies politicians Andrew Wilkie and Nick Xenophon say the $20 million industry advertising blitz against proposed gambling reforms is based on lies.
Clubs and hotels will launch a print, television and radio advertisement campaign today against a proposed mandatory poker machine pre-commitment scheme.
Clubs Australia claims the federal government's plan, which includes a requirement for gamblers to carry cards to set gambling limits, is un-Australian and will cost jobs.
The group's chief executive, Anthony Ball, says the cards are a licence to punt and won't curb gambling addiction.
'It's like saying to an alcoholic it's OK to drink six beers - it's just nonsense,' Mr Ball told ABC Radio this morning ahead of the campaign launch.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who has threatened to withdraw his support for the Gillard government if a mandatory system isn't in place by 2014, accused the clubs of 'telling lies'.
'The industry is being dishonest,' he told ABC Radio, adding it was side-stepping the 100,000 problem gamblers identified by the Productivity Commission.
The campaign's claim that the proposed reforms were un-Australian was bizarre, Mr Wilkie said.
The clubs' preferred voluntary system would have a very limited impact on problem gambling, he said.
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Mr Wilkie said given the option, the vast majority of poker machine players would opt for 'low intensity' machines that limit gambling losses to $50 an hour.
Fellow anti-pokies campaigner Nick Xenophon agrees the clubs' argument is based on 'lies' given final details of the reforms are yet to be finalised.
'This greedy, self-interested lobby has really 'jumped the shark',' the independent senator said, noting the campaign's cost exceeds the annual spend on problem gambling services.
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The Joint Parliamentary Committee into Gambling Reform is due to report at the end of April.
Originally published asAnti-gambling campaign 'based on lies'