Thursday, January 04, 2007

Our report about the astounding amount of money put through poker machines
in the region alarmed many. 'Scary' was one word used by readers of this
newspaper. Considering that Jupiters Casino, the largest gambling venue in
North Queensland, isn't included in the figures 'scary' might seem an
understatement. As we reported on Friday, $66 million was put through the
region's 1604 machines in just 11 months. The figures equate to each person
in the twin cities spending an average of $410 each year on pokies alone.
Clearly, something is wrong. An increasingly large proportion of the
population now thinks nothing of putting their money into gambling while
their families face the very real prospect of starving or being made to
leave their homes. And too many people, according to the Salvation Army,
simply don't see that they have a problem. The statistics would suggest
otherwise. Sadly, while governments reap so much benefit from the
community's over-spending on games of chance, efforts to warn those who
might be or become problem gamblers are destined to be half-hearted. The
fact that many don't see gambling as the problem that, say, alcohol and drug
addiction are, is also a concern. The Salvation Army sees the effects of
this particular problem all too clearly, and its members have no hesitation
in likening it to drug and alcohol addiction. While the Government should be
supported in its early efforts to halt the number of gambling addicts -
their 'don't let the game play you' campaign, for instance - there is
definitely room for improvement. Perhaps, as many have suggested, an easing
of the number of new machine licences granted would be a good place to
start.