Concern over pokies lease plan

#997 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 16 Nov 2014.

The Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce has warned that a proposal to allow registered clubs to lease their poker machines to other venues will see them shifted to suburbs where players lose the most money.

Registered clubs can presently only sell their poker machine entitlements to other clubs. A memorandum of understanding was signed by NSW Premier Mike Baird and Deputy Premier Troy Grant on October 13 which industry sources say would “enable struggling [rural] clubs to create a new revenue stream.”

A spokesperson for the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce expressed concern that

moving machines to places where more money will be lost will result in increasing problem gambling and harm even where a net benefit test can be satisfied.

The NSW Council of Churches has called on Premier Mike Baird to listen to legitimate concerns and commit to follow through and implement all recommendations of the recent NSW inquiry into the gambling industry.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.