THE Victorian Greens unveiled their policy to phase out poker machines in the state on November 2, the same day the federal government announced new rules on gambling advertising.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC, said that “Victorians have lost a staggering $66 billion at the pokies since they were introduced in the state 30 years ago”.

“It also costs us billions in mental health and other services each year,” she said.

 

The Greens plan includes:

*Harm minimisation measures like dollar-bet limits;

*A 65 per cent tax on poker machines;

*A buy-back scheme for pokies licences, and;

*Banning political donations from the gambling industry.

 

Getting rid of pokies in Victoria was also a Greens policy at the 2018 state election. The policy would have ripped up legislated 20-year pokies licences and phased out pokies within a decade.

The 2022 policy does not explicitly put a timeline on making Victoria pokie-free, and doesn’t indicate a willingness to tear up the licences.

Greens state candidate for Eastern Victoria, Mat Morgan, told the Gippsland Times the party was focusing on the buy-back scheme and 65 per cent tax on pokies to make the business model unviable.

“We’re not putting a timeline. We’re pushing for the government buy-back,” he said.

The Greens say the plan would establish an independent expert panel to develop the buy-back scheme, and a $200 million transition fund to help smaller venues transition away from pokies to new revenue streams.

Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) partnerships and prevention manager, Michelle Ravesi, said the LCHS was not advocating a ban on poker machines, but would welcome any policy that reduced the impact of problem gambling.

“I wouldn’t say (pokies) have to be phased out. There needs to be some regulation and restrictions on potential losses,” she said.

“It’s not about stopping people having a flutter on the pokies while going out, it’s so they don’t experience social harm.

“We’d support anything that would reduce gambling harm.”

Ms Ravesi said she’d like to see new rules and regulation, as well as existing measures bolstered or increased.

“Placing limits on poker machines. Having pre-commitments, so people can’t lose more than they’re prepared to lose, and putting caps in,” she said.

Reason Party candidate for Eastern Victoria, Dean Barnes, said his party also backed measures to reduce harm from pokies.

“Reason have a similar harm-reduction approach as The Greens when it comes to poker machines, including support of a buy-back scheme by 2026 and reversal of the Gambling Regulation Amendment that provides a 20-year lease,” Mr Barnes said.

“Much like drugs and alcohol, gambling can be addictive and enormously harmful to society.

“With many in regional Victoria experiencing loneliness and isolation, what can start as a fun little punt on the pokies, can very easily become an addiction that plunges people, often low-income earners, into abject poverty, creating enormous strain on welfare groups and already sorely lacking mental health services.

“Much like our approach to drug dependency, Reason supports harm-reduction.”

The Federal Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth, also announced on November 2 that there would be new rules for gambling advertisements, with online betting companies soon to be forced to abandon the phrase “gamble responsibly”, in favour of new messages about the consequences of losing.

The new messages will come into effect next March, and will be used across print, social media, television, radio and outdoor advertising and promotional materials.

Messages include seven new taglines, including ‘Chances are you’re about to lose’, ‘What’s gambling really costing you?’ and ‘You win some. You lose more’. The taglines must be accompanied by ‘For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au‘.

“The taglines are deeply embedded in research,” Ms Rishworth said.

Ms Rishworth said she wanted gambling measures to be grounded in “good evidence”, and to focus on online gambling in particular.

“Australia has one of the highest per capita losses in the OECD, so it’s an area that we can’t not put our attention on,” she said.

The Nationals Leader, David Littleproud, welcomed the news but said more needed to be done.

“I believe changes to gambling ads don’t go far enough,” Mr Littleproud said.

“We need to have a conversation about whether or not gambling ads should be on at all – especially given that children are often watching sport, or families are together to support their favourite team when the betting ads come on.

“Children are exposed to gambling ads as soon as they start watching sport on television or online and that’s often from a very young age.”

Ms Ravesi also took aim at gambling ads in sport. “Having gambling associated with sport and other areas is really harmful,” she said.

“Young people see (sport gambling ads), and so sport is associated with gambling at a very young age.”