Problem gambling is not only harmful to the individuals that are addicted to pokies and other casino games. It also affects their children, spouses, co-workers and friends. Children tend to experience the most detrimental effects of their parents’ gambling addictions, as many are conditioned to gamble while others must live in impoverished conditions.
A recent and disturbing trend has also seen more children in Victoria being abandoned while their parents gamble. According to the Herald Sun, more and more children are being left alone in car parks and at their parents’ homes. Over the course of the past year, there have been 69 cases of children being abandoned in Victoria. Last year, 39 children were hospitalized. Two years ago, 2 children died.
Many cases of abandonment are seen when parents with gambling problems visit casinos and pokie clubs. Since 2010, there have been 13 cases of young people being left alone outside of pokie clubs and Crown Melbourne. This presents a serious health risk, as the inside of a car can reach temperatures of up to 60 degrees within 20 minutes.
"Babies and young children can't regulate their body temperature like adults can, so being left in a hot car can quickly become life threatening," says Brett Drummond of Ambulance Victoria. Parents can be fired up to $2165 or face three months in jail if they are found guilty of abandoning their children.
In an extreme case, Jade Poole was charged with manslaughter after leaving her 6-month-old daughter in the backseat of her car on a hot day. This is a serious issue, and it seems as though steeper punishments must be enforced in order to truly prevent parents from carelessly abandoning their children.
It is also up to casino staff and security to patrol their car parks in order to ensure that children are not being left alone while their parents gamble.
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