As Poker Machine Reforms gather pace, the social workers and and church leaders who are dealing with problem gamblers on a daily basis have gathered at government HQ in Canberra to show their support for the tough approach being shown by Federal Labor and Andrew Wilkie… They are 100% behind the proposal to force gamblers to nominate a figure that they can afford to lose each month and stick to it.
The group was headed up by anti gambling supremo Tim Costello who said that if other Australians had to see what he and his fellow social workers had to see each day (the human cost of poker machine addiction) then they too would support the reforms. Mr Costello said that it was just plain wrong that high stakes Poker Machines could take nearly $2000 an hour from addicted punters…
He also added that the gambling industries claims that thousands of jobs would be lost due to the reforms should be ignored arguing that the money people saved on gambling would be put into the retail sector, creating jobs that way…