A Pokies-free Victoria

Originally posted on April 30, 2020 @ 7:23 am

Since they have been launched into the state 30 years ago, Victorians have misplaced a staggering $sixty six billion on the pokies. Electronic Gaming Machines, or pokies, have been intentionally designed by the playing trade to be highly addictive. However whereas other sorts of gambling are confined to the casino, the majority of gaming machines in Victoria are in pubs and clubs in the neighborhood, and in greater concentrations in disadvantaged communities.

Whereas some clubs have expressed interest in getting out of the business for good, the federal government has refused to think about it, claiming that clubs at the moment are locked into 20-12 months licences, and 20 more years of hurt. Native councils and communities even have little management over pokies of their communities, because the regulator has the power to find out functions for new pokies.

Downside playing is a severe public health challenge that impacts individuals, families and communities. The monetary stress caused by playing addiction can result in household breakdown, job loss, depression and suicide. There are established links between downside gambling, household violence and violent crime.

Sufficient is enough. The Greens have a plan to get the pokies out of our communities and reduce gambling hurt in Victoria.

THE GREENS’ PLAN FOR A POKIES-FREE VICTORIA

Harm minimisation measures for all gaming machines

In the wake of the Royal Commission into Crown On line casino, the Labor Authorities has introduced some lengthy-overdue playing reforms for gaming on the casino, including requiring necessary pre-commitment on gaming machines from 2025. But in Victoria, simply 2,628 of the state’s 30,000 pokies are in the casino, whereas the remaining are out in group pubs and clubs.

To scale back playing hurt we want strong hurt minimisation measures at every single gaming venue in the state. And though the Tasmanian Government has recently taken a stand against the gambling and hospitality lobbies to introduce Australia’s first statewide necessary pre-dedication scheme, here in Victoria the Labor Government is just too near the playing and lodge industries to implement the same statewide scheme.

The Greens plan to cut back harm in all pokies venues contains:

Introducing from 1 July subsequent year.
$20 load up limits, $500 jackpot limits, and decrease the money withdrawal limit to $200 inside 24 hr interval
Require all pokies venues to be closed between 12am and 10am

Establishing from a least 1 July 2025:
Mandatory pre-commitment cashless card scheme on each gaming machine within the state, in keeping with the with Crown On line casino reforms
Most $1 guess limits.

Improve the tax on all poker machines to 65%

Like different harmful merchandise like cigarettes and alcohol, poker machines should be properly taxed to reflect the menace they pose to public health. However currently pokies in Victoria are taxed on a sliding scale depending on average monthly income, from 0% as much as 60.67%.

The Greens will introduce a flat tax on all poker machines and enhance it to 65%.

In the longer time period, Victoria should find new revenue sources to substitute taxes on pokies. We simply can’t keep counting on this immoral trade to prop up our state funds.

A buy-again scheme for pokies licences

Gaming venues in Victoria not too long ago signed new 20-year pokies licences, effectively locking us into 20 extra years of gambling hurt. And while some clubs have expressed interest in handing again their licences and machines, the federal government has thus far refused to consider a good mechanism to permit clubs to get out of the business early.

20 year licences are far too lengthy. The Greens’ plan will:

Provoke an unbiased professional panel to develop a licence buyback scheme: The panel will consider the very best solution to arrange an effective purchase-again scheme for pokies licences and consider options for changing the income misplaced from making Victoria’ pokies free by 2035. The panel will ensure local councils are included in the development of the scheme, so that they can input into the discount of pokies licences of their areas.

A $200m fund for smaller clubs and pubs that want to maneuver away from pokies earlier than the purchase-back scheme is in place

The Greens will implement a $200m transition fund to assist smaller venues that need to get out of pokies immediately transition to new revenue streams.

Ban political donations from the gambling trade

The Labor and Liberal parties are too close to the gambling business and too afraid to take them on. Earlier than the 2018 election combined Labor and the Liberal took virtually $1 million in donations from the pokies business.

The Greens will push to ban political donations from the gambling trade so our communities can come first. We may also shut the revolving door between politics and the playing business by banning politicians and senior ministerial advisors from working in the gambling trade for five years

Reforming Crown On line casino

The Royal Commission revealed the complete extent of Crown’s dodgy behaviour. From allowing money laundering and criminal activity within its walls to overseeing significant playing hurt, Crown’s particular remedy from the government allowed it to get away with illegal exercise and bad behaviour for many years. Whereas the federal government has dedicated to implementing the Royal Commission suggestions in full, we’ve got a possibility to go further on casino reform to give attention to decreasing playing hurt, stopping corruption and stopping the following casino operator from rising its political influence at the expense of the Victorian community.

The Greens’ plan would:

Halve the variety of gaming machines and tables to reduce playing harm
Introduce harm minimisation protections including dollar bet limits, spin restrictions, withdrawal limits, obligatory pre dedication and ban loyalty applications.
Enhance tax rates to make the Casino pay its fair share by doubling the tax paid on gaming tables and machines and reintroducing an additional progressive tax on commission-based mostly play that was eliminated in 2014-15.
– Impose an annual levy of $22,715 on every electronic gaming machine.
– Enhance the neighborhood profit levy from 1% to 2%.

Lowering harm from on-line sports activities betting

Sports betting is the fastest growing sector of the playing business. Victorians misplaced a massive $2.33 billion on sports and race betting in 2020-21, a rise of 42% from the earlier yr. And the bulk of sports activities betting – 72% – happens online, where the convenience of inserting a wager makes it doable to lose significant quantities in a short time and carries a higher risk of harm.

While in Victoria we have now banned gambling promoting on public transport and near colleges, advertising remains to be allowed in different public spaces, at sports activities grounds and on broadcast television and digital media. And the sheer saturation of gambling advertisements on tv and on social media means Victorians, together with kids and younger individuals, are uncovered to higher rates of playing advertising than ever before. We see an average of 948 playing advertisements a day on free-to-air Television – a rise of huge 253 per cent since 2016.

The Greens will ban playing advertising in public locations, at sports grounds and introduce tighter restrictions on gambling advertisements on television and radio. We will also work with our federal colleagues to fully ban playing advertising on tv, radio, and online together with on social media

In 2019 the Labor Authorities introduced a new level of consumption tax, which is levied on the income on-line bookmakers raise from customers located in Victoria. Nevertheless much of the tax income goes straight back to the racing industry through the Victorian Racing Business cost.

The Greens will:

Enhance the point of consumption wagering and betting tax (POCT) from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.
Cancel the Victorian Racing Industry Fund fee.

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