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By Chris Hook
New Victorian regulations to help people gamble responsibly have been welcomed by the Interchurch Gambling Taskforce.
Among the
recently announced reforms are natural lighting for gaming venues, clocks on poker machines and tight controls on gaming advertising. A $1.8 million advertising campaign to raise people’s awareness of the dangers of
gambling has been running in broadcast and print media since November. A spokesperson for Victorian Minister for Gaming, John Pandazopoulos, said the advertising campaign – which features messages such as “excessive
gambling may cause family problems for some people” – had been well received in the community. He said the campaign would be reviewed, but the “early indicators are that (the advertising) is quite effective”.
Interchurch Taskforce on Gambling spokesperson and director of Melbourne’s Commission for Justice, Development and Peace, Liz Curran said:“We welcome these initiatives and the decision to put clocks on gaming
machines, which we’ve been arguing for, for the past five years. But it’s only the first couple of steps in a process that needs a lot more,” she warned. “Australia-wide we need good solid models as to how we
approach the issue of gambling.”
Ms Curran said the advertising campaign was of little use if adequate counselling services were not available. She added that the taskforce was also pushing for gaming areas
to be non-smoking and for machines to shut down intermittently so gamblers are forced to take time out.
Ms Eva Ferra, of Sydney’s GAME counselling service, agreed that steps had to be taken to ensure gamblers
took breaks.
“We need to do something to help people get in touch with reality,” Ms Ferra said. She welcomed the Victorian move. “They’re all great ideas, I wish they’d go a bit further, but they have to
start somewhere,” Ms Ferra said. “I hope the (NSW Government) follows in Victoria’s footsteps to protect people and their families.”
But a spokesperson for Gaming and Racing Minister, Richard Face, said the
Victorian moves were not under consideration. He said the Government had tightened gaming regulations last year, providing for warning notices in gaming areas and brochures on gaming odds and counselling services,
along with a moratorium on new gaming machines.
Recently NSW Premier Bob Carr announced an extension to the twelve-month ban on the installation of new poker machines in NSW.
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