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1. Should We Ban Poker Machines Online
2. Should We Ban Poker Machines Near Me
3. Should We Ban Poker Machines Reviews

Oct 22, 2015  All poker machines may be illegal: lawyers. An Australian law firm has declared war on the lucrative gambling industry with claims that poker machines are illegal. The announcement followed new research which showed pokies have a similar effect on the brain as illicit substances like crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. Law firm Maurice. Jan 23, 2018 Debate over poker machines is at the centre of the lead-up to this year’s Tasmanian state election. Labor’s promise to remove pokies from Tasmania’s pubs and clubs by 2023 if it wins government has been met with both praise and fierce criticism from lobby groups. Should poker machine gambling be restricted? Some see any curbs as an attack on rights that will hurt clubs. Others say action is vital to help the vulnerable. We should have the freedom to do.

See the destruction caused by Australia's Pokie Plague

The pokies question has been plaguing Australia for decades. Picture: Phil WilliamsSource:News Corp Australia

THIS week, news.com.au has run a series on Australia’s pokies obsession. We’ve interviewed people who play them, communities with some of the highest saturation of pokies in the world, and those who have become addicted.

We met the CEO of a chain of clubs in one of these suburbs and a counsellor from an RSL-funded service for problem gamblers, and spoke to poker machine regulators and all parties in a court case brought by an ex-pokies addict against Crown Melbourne and manufacturer Aristocrat Technologies. Read part one, part two and part three here.

In this final instalment, we look at the many stories we’ve heard in response, overwhelmingly from people whose lives have been damaged by pokies. We spoke to industry insiders and the peak body for clubs in NSW — the state with the greatest proliferation of machines.

We recieved many comments from readers who could not understand how anyone could become addicted. “Pokies are for losers,” wrote one. “Who in their right mind would throw money away?”

Some said the machines weren’t the problem, and help was there for people who had an issue. “You know the consequences of your action, we are told from a very young age. Stop blaming and learn to admit YOU messed up.”

Many insisted the issue was about self-control and personal responsibility — as with junk food, alcohol and drugs. “I have no sympathy for those of us that don’t have enough self discipline and common sense to know when enough is enough.”

So is there really a problem? Here’s what we’ve been told.

Many Australians want to see people with a pokies problem take responsibility.Source:News Corp Australia

THE ADDICTS

• “This is probably the biggest health issue that Australia has to date,” wrote one anonymous reader. “I became a ‘problem player’ when I was around 23. I probably spent in excess of $150,000 during the period 1993-2001 on pokies.” He was finally saved after moving to a different country.

• A reader from Victoria said: “I thought I could beat the machines, thinking that surely it has to pay out at some stage; that I knew their cycles — boy, how I was wrong. It always starts out innocently enough but it took me 22 years and the loss of my marriage and house to realise that it became such a big part of my life and a negative one at that. I wasn’t getting out alive if I continued down the same path ... we all have a limit. Whether it is crime and the possibility of prison, depression which could very well lead to suicidal tendencies, even some form of insanity where we just alienate ourselves from our family and friends to the point where we can’t listen or hear anything, only the sound of the machine ... I believe the government is not doing enough from the front end — the advertising and promotion. The bright lights and sounds are an escape from reality. I noticed that we do not advertise cigarettes because of what they do to your health, even alcohol, ads are few and far between but if I go to watch a game of footy or cricket on television, I am bombarded with odds and sports bet specials ... I wish I had have stopped sooner, before I lost the people closest to me, the loss of money is only a byproduct.”

Pokies addicts say their obsession took over their lives.Source:News Corp Australia

• A 26-year-old from Fairfield in NSW, where $8 billion was fed into pokies last year, said he spent around $100,000 in five years. “It started out as a casual thing. Putting in a few $10, $20 notes a week totalling to $50 a week gradually grew into an addiction. Initially, I wasn’t that drawn into the idea of investing my money into pokies but over a period of time, it felt like there was a trigger in my mind that allowed me to believe I could make a living out of it ... this came from unexpected wins ranging from a few hundreds to winning a ‘jackpot’ of a few thousand. I think it was this surprising luck that created the illusion of ‘I can beat this machine.’” He lost more as the years went on, failing to finish university because he was more interested in pokies. “I eventually had to work two jobs to pay off debts that I had borrowed from friends, bank and quick loan companies ... it is something that I will regret for the rest of my life. I remember having long sessions and every few hours I would head to the ATM machine without anyone stopping me or asking me if I was sure about my decision ... I was also able to hide this addiction from my family, because these venues were opened almost 24 hours ... This experience has ruined my life ... I believe once someone is affected, it’s just as bad as having cancer. It is a disgusting sickness.”

• Venues do not intervene in people’s gambling unless they flag a problem through “self exclusion”. Andrew Wade, 45, said he’s “had a problem forever” despite counselling, and found his only option was to bar himself from all licenced premises within walking distance of his work and home. “I previously lived in NSW where this process was easy,” he said. “You could go to a central place and bar yourself from all the venues in an area. Now I’m in Queensland, you have to go to every single venue, sit down and discuss this with the hotel manager, fill in forms to ban yourself, and repeat this for all the venues around you. This is hard when you work in areas like Fortitude Valley where there are so many it’s not funny. Still I have to do this, because I don’t know when the urge can take over.”

• Kelvin Tan, from western Sydney, won $100 “first time I slapped” at 18. He thought he was “king of the world.” The 29-year-old says he has no savings or assets because of his addiction. “Pokies addiction led to casino addiction led to sports bet addiction ... I would play during lunch hour break in the cities trying to win money lost the night before.” Kelvin regularly reached his $2000 daily ATM limit and would go to the bank to withdraw another $2000 in person “even when the teller gave me funny looks”. He is still paying back thousands he borrowed from his parents.

• Another reader said they relapsed after two months cold turkey. “I had a brain explosion and blew 3000 dollars. Since Monday I have retreated into my shell, my persona has changed to one of doom and gloom. This usually lasts a week or so then I get back to my usual self, going through suicidal thoughts, self pity, promising I will never do it again, yet I never uphold my promises ... Do I take responsibility for my actions, absolutely. While gambling I am overwhelmed by the machine, I am captivated, I am lost, I see no one around me, I am alone, in battle, the demons are all lost in this capsule ... I leave the capsule more miserable, more alone, pockets empty, wanting to end it all ... I was introduced to pokies by work colleagues. I wish I never heard of pokies, let alone played them. Over the years I have put in so much money, I have lied, I have made up stories of where the salary has gone, I have lived a life of deception ... Pokies are the worst thing in my life.”

Former Labor MP Carolyn Hirsh was ousted from Labor for drink driving charges in 2006 after her daughter’s suicide and was admitted to a psychiatric ward. She later revealed she had a serious gambling addiction.Source:News Corp Australia

THE INSIDERS

• Matthew Coscia worked at a number of South Australian gaming venues, including the state’s busiest hotel in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. “We were open until 5am in the morning and would literally have 100 people in our gaming room lining up to play one of the 40 machines at four in the morning when neighbouring venues had closed,” he told news.com.au.

Matthew set up a Facebook page about gambling after “seeing destructive behaviours displayed by a large number of patrons on an almost daily basis.” These included betting more than they could afford or intended, continually chasing losses, becoming distressed or emotional when the machine turned off at closing time and visiting almost every day. He said the claim on many machines that you could win up to $10,000 was misleading, and the amount you were likely to win was “ridiculously low”.

The most he ever saw someone collect in almost eight years was $6000, usually it was a few hundreds at best. “On a one cent machine playing only 1 or 2 credits per line, the most it is possible to win is a couple of hundred dollars,” he said. “If X lotto had a draw where the maximum prize was $400, would anyone buy a ticket? Of course not. Yet we have a billion-dollar industry based on what is essentially, the chance to win a few hundred dollars. Granted, it is possible to win slightly more if you bet more credits per line, however, if you bet big you lose big. A $1000 win isn’t really much in context when you’ve spent over $20,000 in the last year on gambling ... When was the last time you heard about a person enjoying financial freedom after a pokies windfall?”

• A pawnbroker told news.com.au he regularly saw people struggling with late rent, unpaid bills, using up credit. Occasionally, the effects were “devastating” — a man who was suicidal, a lady who lost an apartment. “Regardless of the severity of loss, in almost all cases the gamblers would say, ‘They should be banned.’ For a supposed leisure activity, that's a pretty low endorsement. I saw pre-pokies gambling in the late 80s and early 90s which consisted of horses and private card dens. These customers were reasonably few and were the type of people you’d expect. Once the pokies took hold and the gambling values went up and the range of customer became very broad. I can remember a doctor, a police officer, a teacher, all sorts of tradies, office girls.”

• Carolyn Hirsh was one of the MPs responsible for bringing pokies to Victoria, speaking in favour in caucus. “There’d been massive, massive lobbying by the industry to bring it in,” she told news.com.au. “They’re a pretty powerful mob. The local club manager wanted them.

“The state was pretty broke, in financial chaos with the state bank. It desperately needed other income ... Buses of people would go over the border to NSW to play pokies, it was such a big thing for the oldies.

“When the pokies started in 1950s NSW and Nevada, there were three reels made of fabric, you pulled the handle and it was chance, when you won you got a free beer or something. Now, it is not chance.

“I got caught drink driving and was obliged to resign from party, I became pretty depressed. I later found out I had PTSD after my daughter committed suicide in 2001. I didn’t grieve, just got with life. I lost a fair bit of money on credit cards, got a mortgage on the house. I probably lost $40-50,000. I was lucky I didn’t lose the house and didn’t go to jail.”

Ms Hirsh, 80, was re-elected in 2003: “I was playing before had any idea of addiction, although I had spoken in parliament about the possibility of addiction given the design of the machines. I was a psychologist, a member of parliament, pretty intelligent actually, but I was stupid.

“I was very familiar with Pavlov’s dog and classical conditioning. I thought because I knew that I couldn’t get addicted, but there are far more subtle features I didn’t realise until I went one night and thought, ‘I’m spending more than I want to.’ And it got worse.

“The guilt I’ve got is not so much about bringing them in but how I treated my family, hurt my family, usual addict things of lying ... they were very upset and angry.”

NSW was one of the first states in the world to have pokies in pubs and clubs. Australians from other states would cross borders to play.Source:News Corp Australia

THE VENUES

Should We Ban Poker Machines Online

In our earlier articles, we discussed why Australia’s pokies problem is considered the worst in the world, particularly in NSW, which is second only to Nevada for density of machines.

ClubsNSW disagrees with this interpretation. Here’s where its perspective differs.

We said: $19.5 billion was gambled on pokies in NSW in February-March this year, $135.7 billion in Australia over a year.

ClubsNSW says: This is misleading because it fails to mention that over 90 per cent of this was returned to players in prizes — a better rate than with most lotteries. Furthermore, the turnover figure does not represent either the amount of money put into poker machines or the amount spent. According to the latest national statistics, $11.6 billion is spent on poker machines in Australia annually.

As we explained in our story on how the machines work, the 90 per cent return to player means per spin. The more you spin, the more you lose. If I bet $10, I win $9. If I bet that $9 I win $8.10. If I bet that $8.10, I win $7.29. An article by a former problem gambler on the ABC, explains it like this: The machine has to return 90 per cent of money gambled … not money inserted. There’s a huge difference. Gladys played for five hours, feeding in $300 in $20 notes. She played 10 games a minute; that’s 3000 games over five hours, 3000 times Gladys pushed that button. Each time, she bet a dollar. Sometimes she lost, sometimes she won; those winnings allowed her to postpone the next $20 that bit longer. By the end of the day, by poker machine mathematics, Gladys had gambled $3000 in one dollar increments. Here’s the sting. According to the poker machine, $3000 was gambled, and $300 (all of Gladys’ money) was kept. That means the machine paid out $2700 … the 90 per cent return.

We said: “Australia has greatest number of problem gamblers in the world,” according to campaigner Tim Costello.

ClubsNSW says: The problem gambling prevalence rate in Australia was last measured in 2010 as 0.7 per cent of the adult population, equal to or less than many jurisdictions including than N Ireland, Norway, Manitoba, Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Canada, Ontario, G Britain, Newfoundland & Labrador.

A public inquiry in 2010 found there were 115,000 people classified as serious “problem gamblers” in Australia, with a further 280,000 categorised as at “moderate risk” — although campaigners believe the figures may be far higher. That’s 1.3%. Only Northern Ireland and Norway (2.2%) are higher. News.com.au has been contacted by scores of people confessing to a secret problem with pokies. Australians lost more per adult in 2016 than any country — a total of $18.3 billion, according to a report by consultants H2 Gambling Capital. That’s an average of $990 per adult, 40 per cent higher than runner-up Singapore and around double the average in Western countries.

We said: 40 per cent of poker machine revenue comes from problem gamblers.

ClubsNSW says: This figure is outdated and incorrect. Separate Government-funded research studies in Tasmania and the ACT found that problem gamblers accounted for 13.5 per cent and 15.6 per cent of poker machine revenue respectively. The vast majority of poker machine revenue (between 80 and 90 per cent) comes from recreational players, not problem gamblers.

Should We Ban Poker Machines Near Me

See above.

We said: 20 per cent of the world’s poker machines are in Australia, 10 per cent in NSW, according to the Greens and anti-gambling campaigners.

ClubsNSW says: Only 2.5 per cent of the world’s gaming machines are in Australia according to World Count of Gaming Machines 2016 by Gaming Technologies Association.

This figure is up for debate. Gaming Technologies defines a gaming machine as any device for playing a game of chance, or partly chance and partly skill — includingslot machines, video lottery terminals, video gaming machines, pachinko and pachislot machines, and electronic table games.

NSW clubs received $2.78 million in gaming machine income per annum after tax, according to ClubsNSW. On average, 60 per cent of club income comes from gaming machines.

The state’s clubs make an annual social contribution of $1.3 billion, according to KPMG’s 2015 Club Census, with $118 million donated to local groups and facilities and the rest coming from subsidised facilities, volunteers and support services.

Should We Ban Poker Machines Reviews

The state government taxes them at 28 per cent for all profit over $1 million per annum, which is reduced by 1.85 pwe cent if a club pays that to community projects under the ClubGRANTS scheme.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, contact Gamblers Anonymous for help.

Leave a comment below, share your story with emma.reynolds@news.com.au or tweet @emmareyn.