Ban ATMs From Gaming Venues

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon - Media Release - 13 March 2008

Greens MP and gambling spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has urged Premier Morris Iemma to follow Victorian Premier John Brumby’s lead and ban ATMs in gaming venues in a bid to reduce harm for problem gamblers and their families.

“A Labor Prime Minister and Victorian Premier have embraced this simple initiative designed to reduce easy access to cash at gaming venues. If Premier Iemma doesn’t follow suit he must explain why,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“Premier Iemma can no longer rely on the excuse that in NSW regulations require ATMs be kept separate from gaming machines.

“A little bit of distance between an ATM and a gaming machine, within the one gambling venue, will not stop a problem gambler from withdrawing more cash. But removing ATMs altogether would act as a significant deterrent”.

“NSW needs to quickly adopt simple but effective measures like this to reduce the significant social and health costs caused by problem gambling”.

“Other strategies include ensuring EFTPOS facilities at venues do not permit cash withdrawals; removing visual and sound stimuli from gaming machines particularly when a win takes place; and requiring natural light at venues.

“In the long term Premier Iemma must do the hard work to reduce gaming machine numbers, treat gambling as a public health issue and establish a genuinely independent statutory gambling regulator.

“With NSW set to introduce new gaming machine laws this year, the time is ripe for Premier Iemma to be designing strategies that minimize the harm done by gambling in NSW,” Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information: Lee Rhiannon - 9230 3551, 0427 861 568

Please let us know whether the information on this page was useful.

 Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful

Comments:

Disclaimer - The opinions expressed in this website are not necessarily those held by the Gambling Impact Society (NSW) Inc. No responsibility will be accepted for anything that may occur as a result of anyone relying on the information and opinions contained in the website.