In Tasmania, responsible gambling advocates are encouraging political parties to reject donations from gambling operators. Due to rising problem gambling rates, it is important that politicians are not biased when it comes to establishing new safe gambling measures and gaming regulations.

A report from ABC News notes that Greens Leader Kim Booth is calling on all politicians in the state, and urging them to turn down any donations from gaming operators. Politicians fund their campaigns through donations from community members and contributions from some industries may have a potential impact on party’s stance on particular issues.

While they may be losing out on a large chunk of money for their campaign, rejecting donations from gambling operators will help politicians remain unbiased. "Both Liberal and Labor are compromised on that," Booth says. "They should send the donations back to the people who own these machines”. Booth’s request comes shortly after statistics were released about gambling spending in Tasmania.

Over the course of the last year, Tasmanian residents lost over $200 million on pokies. This marks a major increase in spending on the previous year, which indicates a potential rise in problem gambling. As such, The Greens want to ensure that spending decreases in the coming year. Tony Reidy, CEO of Tasmanian Council of Social Service, cites research that indicates 2,500 Tasmanians are problem gamblers.

There is a need for more safeguards in the gambling market, especially in low-income areas where problem gambling rates are highest. Rejecting donations from gaming operators will help to ensure that politicians will act in the best interests of the community.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.