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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 11 Hansard (22 October) . . Page.. 3955 ..

MS DUNDAS (continuing):

I believe the debate we should have today gives all members the opportunity to tell the government what they expect to see in the government's response to the review of the Gaming Machine Act. One of the most fundamental issues that need to be addressed is the granting of poker machine licences in perpetuity to organisations. It is clearly unsustainable to be handing out poker machine licences that have no end date. This practice has been a major component of the proliferation of poker machines in the ACT and occurs simply because the Gambling and Racing Commission has no power to remove or revoke licences once they have been issued, regardless of the appropriateness of the venue or the level of use of the machines.

We have to move away from that system. No-one has the right to operate a poker machine, and our licensing system should reflect this. We need to be able to move licences to venues that are better suited and better regulated. We need the ability to remove machines from venues that do not comply with the regulations or the code of practice in order to improve compliance with harm minimisation measures. Perhaps most importantly of all, the Assembly needs to make a determination on the extent of poker machine gambling allowed in the territory and give the Gaming and Racing Commission the ability to reduce or increase the number of machines accordingly.

The review recommends a number of harm minimisation techniques to assist in reducing the extent of problem gambling. I do not believe this should be a substitute for reducing machine numbers, but it should be a complementary method of reducing the harm that poker machines cause. However, there are a number of initiatives in the document that I believe the government should implement.

First is the removal of ATM machines from gaming venues. There have been numerous studies, including the results of the federal government's Productivity Commission report, that demonstrate that problem gamblers are far more likely to use automatic teller machines in poker machine venues than low-level, recreational gamblers are.

The removal of ATMs from gaming venues will help limit the losses by problem gamblers on poker machines and require gamblers to leave the venue to acquire additional gambling funds. This break in the gaming cycle is an essential part of preventing problem gambling. It can give problem gamblers a break from the trance-like state that poker machines can induce.

The same principle goes for the banning of smoking in gaming venues. Research has shown that problem gamblers are far more likely to be smokers than not and that forcing gamblers to leave the venue to have a cigarette gives them a break, which is essential for allowing them to make the decision to stop gambling at that time. It is unfortunate that the commission has not taken up this recommendation but, if the proposal to ban smoking in enclosed public places succeeds, it will also apply to gaming venues.

I would like to see these issues addressed in the government's response to the review of the Gaming Machine Act. This response from the government has often been called on since the report in December last year. If we are serious about making a difference in problem gambling, the government needs to take a lead in this way.

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