Community campaigner Tony Brown has urged the Hunter region to be an “exemplar for the nation” in terms of introducing harm mitigation measures for the reduction of poker machine gambling losses.
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According to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), the Hunter region experienced $423million in poker machine gambling losses in the 12 months until August 2016. That amounts to $682 per person per year.
According to OLGR data, there were 3079 poker machines in the City of Newcastle, contributing to $156.6million in community losses in 2015-16. Port Stephens had 949 machines and losses of $42.3million in the same period and City of Lake Macquarie 2491 machines and $99.7million in losses.
“Whilst Newcastle is now leading the world very proudly in reducing alcohol-related violence we are probably the worst location in the world for poker machine harms, and that really is outrageous in terms of promoting Newcastle and promoting the Hunter Valley,” Mr Brown said. “By substantially reducing poker machine harms through sensible modest controls we can achieve the same.”
Mr Brown was on hand last Thursday when Reverend Tim Costello came to Newcastle to speak on behalf of the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
He described Newcastle as “in some ways the belly of the beast”.
“Australia has 20% of the world’s pokies, NSW has 10%. In Newcastle you have one poker machine for every 47 adults, and that should shock you,” Rev Costello said.
In some ways Newcastle is the belly of the beast. In Newcastle you have one poker machine for every 47 adults, and that should shock you.
- Reverend Tim Costello
The Alliance will launch an educational resource for high school teachers next month as the start of further community education against gambling.
Alliance regional coordinator Jules Miller said they would also be lobbying Newcastle, Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie councils to help educate the community.
“We want to empower communities to take control of their actions themselves,” Ms Miller said. “We’ll be approaching all of the councils to start considering the implications poker machines are having on the local communities.
“We see it as an area we need to take some fundamental steps to educate our children, to educate our public as to the problems that poker machines in particular can cause and the harm that they can cause to families.
“In Victoria there have been a number of wins where communities have said, ‘No, we’re not having poker machines in our community’, but in NSW we just don’t have that opportunity.”