More pokies than public toilets in Aus

There are much pokie machines successful suburban Australia than nationalist toilets, ATMs oregon station boxes, caller probe has found.

The Grattan Institute survey finds Australians suffer 3 times much wealth than Kiwis each twelvemonth connected the punt, and doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic adults successful the US.

“It’s clip our politicians stood up to the almighty gambling lobby and reigned the manufacture in,” institute main enforcement Aruna Sathanapally said.

The Grattan Institute released a study connected gambling harm this week, which says gambling ads should beryllium banned, and nonaccomplishment limits should beryllium enactment connected pokies and online betting accounts.

The deliberation vessel wants regular losses capped astatine $100, $500 a month, and $5000-per-year.

Australia has the highest gambling losses per big successful the world, astatine $1635 successful 2022. Hong Kong is 2nd with $1284, and Singapore 3rd with $1180.

“Pokies are much communal successful our suburbs than station boxes, ATMs, oregon nationalist toilets,” the study finds.

“They are concentrated successful our astir disadvantaged communities. And they are peculiarly prevalent successful NSW, which has astir arsenic galore pokies arsenic the remainder of Australia combined.”

About fractional of Australia’s yearly $24bn gambling losses travel connected pokies, a 4th is mislaid connected betting, with lotteries, casinos and Keno taking the remainder.

The poorer an country is, the much apt the section pub is to person pokies successful New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, the probe finds.

Only Japan and the casino mecca of Macao person much pokies per capita.

The national authorities is looking astatine changes to code the saturation of gambling ads, vulnerability of children to gambling ads and gambling promotion during sporting matches.

Federal furniture volition reportedly see gambling advertizing reforms, which would astir instantly prohibition online ads, and springiness broadcasters 2 years to spot retired their contracts with bookmakers.

As good arsenic the betting companies paying large for premier clip ads, jersey and stadium sponsorships successful the AFL and NRL, media outlets person been bemoaning the mislaid gross a chopped connected gambling ads would outgo them.

The Grattan Institute study finds the ads which would regenerate gambling spots whitethorn not beryllium sold for rather arsenic much, but it would not make a achromatic hole.

“Those advertisement spots would not slice to black, nor beryllium fixed distant for free,” the study finds.

“Other advertisers would emerge. They mightiness not beryllium consenting to wage rather arsenic much, but the quality would beryllium overmuch little than the look worth of the gambling advertizing revenue.”

The probe besides notes broadcaster gross did not diminution erstwhile baccy ads were banned successful 1976. When baccy sponsorships were banned 20 years later, different corporates and authorities agencies took those sponsor slots.

“Gambling companies and highest bodies use unit to our politicians done each avenue to support their profits,” the institute says.

“Australia indispensable get superior astir preventing gambling harm.”

Originally published arsenic ‘Get serious’: Grattan Institute finds much pokies successful Australia than nationalist toilets