The gambling industry in Australia has been proliferating. A proof of that is the amount, which locals gamble away per month. Earlier this month, Casino Reports found out that Queensland broke any records regarding the amount of money they use to “fund” their gambling hobby. According to the latest updates, the residents of Queensland’s region Fraser Coast are spending pots of money on gambling machines, reaching the monstrous amount of about A$5.2 million on pokies.
Yesterday, the Office of Liquor and Gaming released a report, revealing how much money Fraser Coast’s residents spend on betting. As for September, the figures showed that the gamblers lost more than A$5,224,804 on pokies, while in the Bundaberg region $4,570,034 was gambled away for the corresponding period. Based on that information, it was even estimated that if the locals continue to gamble away that big amounts of money, the region is to lose more than A$60 million by the end of the fiscal year.
Speaking of the latest revelation, Fraser Coast Deputy Mayor George Seymour commented that the figures are wistful, signaling that there is a problem. He added that if he had the needed power, he would introduce a ban on the poker machines, as they have a negative effect on the people’s life. According to him, these gambling machines benefit from the people’s vulnerability, leading them to a gambling addiction. Mr. Seymour urged the Council to be more supportive of the people with gambling problems, alerting players of the threats, which these pokies may hide. He announced that the consumer protection law should be amended in a way to protect players from the addictive gambling machines.
Responding to Mr. Seymour’ attacks, the General Manager at Harvey Bay RSL’s Jason Lynch pointed out that there are certain mechanisms, which are efficiently working to support people, who are facing gambling problems. Apart from the self-exclusion system, Mr. Lynch said that RSL Pokies is working together with various support networks, which assist people to overcome their gambling issues. He emphasized on the fact that the gambling club is donating part of the money collected from the gambling machines to the community. RSL Community Engagement Officer Sarah Bailey announced that the club has given $30,000 to support local community groups every month, including WeCare2 and Volunteer Marine Rescue.
Gambling – National Problem in Australia
The gambling industry in Australia is booming. Coming as no surprise, the total gambling expenditure is constantly increasing. According to various gambling studies, the residents of Australia has gambled away more money per capita than in any other developed country. It emerged on the surface that among the most preferred games are lottery games and pokies. The reason for this massive gambling expansion is the easy access to a great number of gambling machines, which are located not only in casinos, but also in pubs and social clubs. Moreover, these do not require special skills or knowledge. The Australian government should address the problem in the most adequate way as it should protect its residents, without damaging the casino industry. The country is walking on a thin ice and the officials should find a solution to the problem in a timely manner.
