Call for action to address gambling harm as report finds Australians lose average of $1,600 a year
Residents of Fairfield, one of the poorest communities in Sydney, lose $3,967 a year on pokies – three times the state average. In Victoria, the communities of Brimbank and Dandenong – both disadvantaged – have led the state in pokies losses per person for at least a decade.
They get to sell that dirt GST-free, too.
Yeah, worst decision SA ever made was pokies outside the casino.
As for selling dirt, all states do it, WA are just better and management and have higher expectations on their paybacks
I remember the argument for allowing pokies in SA pubs and clubs. It was because pensioners were being bussed into Victoria to dump their money there, so the logic was the SA businesses near the border were missing out on their cut. WA is far away from everyone else that this wasn't possible.
Yeah theyd predominantly go to Wentworth. So they killed a tourism economy for a country town or two and created a plague on the rest of the state….
Does gambling include "investing" in cryptocurrency?
god i hope not otherwise i am a problem gambler…
Wouldnt this bump up the losses to about $50k in average
Just became $70k - "market" volatility
Crypto bros Moto " buy high sell low"
@michaelTito: Actually crypto is easy
Value go up : post happy meme
Value go down: post sad meme
Person: how do you make money?
Me: huh?
Australia is the king of BS industry. Last election in NSW, Dom Perrottet wants to introduce cashless pokies and phasing it out together. This was a bold move for a liberal as they are normally pro-business. Chris Minns, representing Labor whose constituents are effected by most, opposed it. Why? Because there's jobs involved and political donations.
In Australia, any industry, no matter how stupid it is, as long as it produce some jobs, you can pretty much guarantee that our unambitious politicians will protect it. Gambling, housing investment, international students, these are all BS industries that you don't see advance industrialised countries have them.
The top 10 pokies earners are all within Labor heartland.
Mounties is number 1, Cabra Vale diggers is also in top 5.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/26/nsw-p…
So he is representing people who have interests in their electorate.
The day the battlers can donate more than the above clubs then Chris will be the first to look after their interests
The Gambling lobby Australia is known as our NRA. They've got all thier fingers where they need to be to keep operating despite the impact they have on communities. Now I'm not anti freedom or anything, I believe adults should have some level of agency in the choices they make, the issue is the regulatory framework which gambling companies operate is the problem. If your an adult and enjoy the punt then good luck to you know where to find these places, its the aggressive marketing and exposure to minors which the need to regulate, we do that with pr0n, cigarettes, adult relaxation services. They should also be very strong on the presence of gambling mechanics in video games like FIFA.
as for the national average losses….it would be interesting to know what the distribution of losses is I would say its the 95-5 rule 95% of the total losses are by 5% of the pool as a stab in the dark.
Yeah the average for this sort of stuff is isn't a very useful stat. I wouldn't be surprised if the median was 0
Really wish they would take their fingers out , getting quite uncomfortable.
sounds about right… now i'm off to the VIP lounge
do ya reckon you could sneak a couple of them ham cheese tomato half sandwhich out for me?
As I always say: Always chase your losses.
And keep a winning streak running…
The golden rule. Would be rude not to.
It's sad, but Fairfield and surrounds have the best RSL food deals… subsidised by the gamblers.
Take a bunch of not very smart people and trick them out of what little money they have.
It's kind of evil.
It's the LNP electoral fundraising model.
It was the NSW Libs who went to the last election with the far stronger anti pokies policy, Labor went soft on them.
Do you really think the Libs would’ve gone through with it? They had a long time to enact legislation prior to that.
@try2bhelpful: I don't really have any good reason to doubt it, I do think it had more to do with Dom's convictions than party consensus though, and this was the first election he could take it to.
I was disappointed in Labor's inability to use the cover this provided to go hard, especially when it generally affects those in Labor seats the most.
@tryagain: I certainly would like to see the cards in place. I would really like to see that gambling places have to pay back the proceeds of crime. My real issue is neither party goes far enough.
Scomo went to the election promising to end ocean plastics for his darling daughters future. And to plant a billion trees as well. Neither delivered. See a pattern yet?
(enter the 'they're all the same' smoke bombs)
Meanwhile Scomo has been rewarded for selling us out to the american war machine> as promised by Trump when Dutton went over their to polish his knees when Trump was playing Prezzy>
https://thedailyaus.com.au/stories/scott-morrisons-new-job/
security firm American Global Strategies, .
This country is fully invaded and sold out for a few weasels bank accounts. ALN and LNP.
@Protractor: Let's see if you can provide a reference for where Scomo precisely "promised to end ocean plastics" seems your post is full of hyperbole at best.
@tryagain: I'm not your servant.Use your own search engine.If you can't remember, that's your problem.
EDIT, in the spirit of generosity, here>
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-s-pledge-on…
Even his FB page spins the BS about it. He said it to create space to deny action on climate change.
Your apology is accepted
@tryagain: LOL. The first time the mealy mouthed moron made the commitment, he promised ,straight faced to the 'Canberra bubble cameras exactly ,what I said (almost word for word) and even used his daughters name. So if quoting a Scomo lie is a hyperbole, guilty, your honour. Try again>Google it.
Once a marketer, always a marketer.
Here's some more hyperbole you can swallow>
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10709459/Australia-…
@Protractor: You made the claim, you back it up, but you still haven't provided any proof, just cranked up the hyperbole and threw in some whataboutism.
@tryagain: Mmmmkay,
It's not verbatim, but's a fact. Morrison used a BS promise on ocean plastics because he claimed the climate problem was solved. He evoked his own daughter to validate that BS.(To walk away from action on climate change). So I'll wear whatever label you ditch at me with pride. I'm not the one feeding generations of LNP lies into a political agenda that inflicts an existential threat onto millions of other people.
Be happy for Scomo, he's finished BS-ing and now is a aback door to weapons and arms into our govt.All hidden behind firewalls. More threats to more millions of ppl. Happy days. How's that ocean plastic going Scotty? Fixed?
Kind of evil?
I would say corporate greed is kind of evil.
The gambling industry has taken its corporate greed and distilled it down to a very pure form of evil.
Yes because someone making poor decisions in life is being 'tricked'…..
The gambling ads aren’t being realistic.
How so, it's gambling… If it was realistic we'd all go to the casino instead of working. Are we really at a point where we need to spoonfeed to grown adults that the idea of gambling is bad? We really are heading into idiocracy territory.
sadly the gambling ads are being targetted at the young and impressionable, doing their best to show gambling as a fun pasttime for you and your mates. So yes they do their very best to trick non gamblers early in life with the hope of forming more adicts.
It’s not always the less educated or stupid people if you must .
Plenty of wealthy educated people have flushed the family inheritance down the drain chasing “Profits” .
That literally makes them stupid and uneducated.
Not a fan of gambling, pokies etc - BUT at what point do we say, people are responsible for their own actions. i.e you want to go and pop all your $$$ don't the pokies, is your choice.
It is their choice but unfortunately it affects other people who haven't been given that choice.
Yes , those of us who’ve given grandma 10k to help out , with various promises only to have it disappear and had to cut her off ,
know the feeling..
It hurts , and it’s not the money .
Poor parenting is a way bigger problem with way worse outcomes, but we don't stop them from making bad parent choices.
In fact, our current federal government encourages and financially supports those communities to maintain that lifestyle.
@infinite
Could not agree more - is common sense that the earlier a problem is handled the lower the overall cost/impacts - yet socially we still cannot find an approrpriate way to convince new parents to ensure they're using best practices.
Think about the requirements for owning an exotic animal or a piece of machinery, yet anyone can have their own little person no questions asked or guidance given.
That Govt hands out a lot of $$$ to parents, I wonder if a few 'strings' attached might be mutually beneficial?
yet socially we still cannot find an approrpriate way to convince new parents to ensure they're using best practices.
There are lots of support for new parents from Gov.
There's also lot of bad info on FB and random blogs, convincing parents that praying alone will cure their disease and medicine is bad, not getting vax and the new unschooling trend on tik tok. Apparently parents knows best.
@Ughhh: @Ughhh
There are lots of support for new parents from Gov.
Yes, give me a little credit - I'm very much aware of this/these. But as stated 'appropriate way to convince' - handing over $$$ with no requirements isn't good practice IMHO. There should instead be incentives i.e do this, get that. If folks don't want to do, fine - but they can go without.
There's also lot of bad info on FB and random blogs, convincing parents that praying alone will cure their disease and medicine is bad, not getting vax and the new unschooling trend on tik tok.
For centuries Darwinian theory has assisted in such areas - i.e of your parents were morons, who felt vaccinating children was not needed - sadly you perhaps died - but now we've all kinds of safety nets, folks on soap boxes meaning such tendencies are encouraged & maintained.
Again if kind of crazy one has to fill out loads of forms to keep a pet Blue Tongue Lizard etc - but anyone can have a child & get oodles of public support regardless of how they raise it. A tad of common sense might be handy to encourage & assist folks before the child is beyond repair.
I am personally fine with people choosing to do that and it should be a choice, however the gambling companies are targetting children and vulnerable people. It really is no different to alcohol or cigarette advertising to children, they try to show them it is fun and cool.
but it's on tv and we are encouraged to gamble
yeah sure people are responsible for their own actions but then you coud say the same things with heavy drugs. If pokies are OK, then also meth and heroin should. (just to clarify, they should be both banned in my opinion).
Maybe Fairfield has a higher percentage of money launderers. The reported losses are just a cost of their business model.
I wonder what the losses per year are for fuel ripoffs, by state sanctioned cartels, using broad daylight price gouging. Gouging that no other industry gets away with.
Are you talking about OPEC? (Organization for Petroleum Exploitation Cartel).
Nope I'm talking about the local cartels of the big petrol retailer groups who control prices onshore here, and fluctuate prices to suit THEIR agenda ( bottom line) You know, the ones that support the white elephant concept of Fuelwatch?
(Imagine a site that tells you where you can ripped off the least, by flinging a mantra at you like, 'shop around'.)
Basically the govt is up to their guts in this.They have never sought a solution with any integrity. No matter what prices OPEC set, where the AUD sits or any other drier, locally these parasites set prices to exploit consumers beyond any other businesses reach. Easter, Christmas and school holidays or any time where more people do more miles the price miraculously screams north. Price cycling is a rort,period
Note the points here where the toothless retirement village of the ACCC justifies the staus quo>
https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/petrol-and-fuel/what-affec…
"Pricing decisions by wholesalers and retailers, and levels of competition in different locations influence fuel prices."
(in other words they do what they want,justified or not.)
They may as well be the PR arm of the petrol companies. As useful as Fuelwatch.Same gig
Go electric + solar + home battery and you are independent ,
You now have f-off money .
Until you have a home paid off . You can’t afford to gamble.
Let's make it tax deductable!
You may laugh, but in the USA gambling is tax deductible. Of course, for that to be the case you have to pay tax on your winnings too…
and in the USA they make damn sure they get their cut of your winnings, get a large win you aren't even leaving the casino with it, they will take the tax out of your winnings right then and there. Also in the USA while losses are deductible, they are ONLY deductible against gambling winnings. The IRS gets their cut no matter what basically.
Thank you Captain Obvious? Actually its not as bad as I thought
mate went through his 280k inheritance in 9yrs gambling.
hes about to hit the jackpot. surely he cant stop now?
yea thats what Gary says… tells you of his massive $12.00 wins. doesnt tell you it cost him $1500 he lost before that.
It’s not really a Fair field then if they are losing more than other areas
Yes but who cares about losses. How much did they win?
I'm not sure if this is a serious statement or ironic.
Did they ever win their dignity back ?
Friend manages a news agency in SA, has people in all day every day playing keno constantly, they sometimes win but it's ever big enough to cover the losses over the years, some bring dice to get their numbers and such.
It's really pathetic seeing the same people for the last 5+ years just standing around in a news agency gambling and of course they are assholes about it too.
If they are self funded, then why can't they do what they want with their own money ?
I've made about a 16k profit from sports betting the last 3 years. Bet big on small margins works well, just need to look at the odds, then look at every variable possible and make an educated guess based on the probabilities. I'm at the point now (and have been for basically the entire time I've been doing this) that I only bet with winnings I've already made, so if I lose a $1/2k bet then I'm not overly concerned because I don't feel like I'm losing anything I own. It's just a fun hobby for me and pays for a few toys every now and then, as well as a 3 week trip to England a couple of years ago.
How much of these losses are bikies washing money on pokies they own?
Who cares when you can bribe the government to turn a blind eye 👁️ .
Having come from a family of gamblers and bookies and seeing the misery it causes (my Uncle used to have people's legs broken and take houses as payment), I don't gamble at all. My Wife, Sister & BIL don't gamble and in my circle of friends I'm not aware of any that gamble (but I'm sure there must be some).
So take away all the non-gamblers in Australia and suddenly the average loss per year for "gamblers only" becomes quite horrific.
Dead men tell no tales .
The effects of gambling are also basically nothing compared to the effects of people who make the poor life choices that lead to becoming obese.
The take-away is that people will always make poor life choices no matter what. What counts is that you just don't become one of them.
You want to look at the RTP or ROI which is like 33-55% on lotto vs 85-97% on pokies (Older machines have higher ROI than newer ones).. Problem with pokies is that it's more addictive and easier to run through a lot in one sitting without self constraint.
I don't gamble much at all, say 300 bucks a year on lotto and 250 on pokies. In pokies I'd get at least a free game feature and double or get my cash back more frequently than a win on lotto, which would be some crappy low division win of 7 bucks for every third 40 dollar ticket I buy.
Anyway gambling is sh*t overall whatever you put down expect to lose it, never try winning back ur losses, set a budget and walk away.
Pokies should be banned cause they are calibrated so you lose and they win
That's the default setting for all forms of gambling. Like the ad says: "You win some, you lose more"
If there was a form of gambling that paid out more than it cost, that game would go bankrupt and disappear within hours.
The share market pays out more than it costs (on average). I often wonder why gambling junkies don't get their dopamine fix on Commsec.
As a side note :-
Dopamine is actually an essential hormone , I don’t know why this is a popular analogy , just more half baked english .
Like the latest wokeism “ under the pump “ ,
It’s ‘ under the gun ‘ , as in the guns of Beersheba when our boys rode in under the guns to take the wells .
Just because they banned guns here ,we have to change the whole meaning of our language .
I pity the next gen that’s being brainwashed without even being aware .
Many do. Check out r/WallStreetBets and see the degenerate gambling going on there. Leveraged CFDs allow you to blow up your savings in ways gambling can't.
if that wasn't the case, the whole gambling business would not exists
It's been no secret with authorities, researchers, and criminology that Australia is special, and it's due to pokies at the pub.
| Country | Losses Per Person USD |
|---|---|
| Australia | $1,000 |
| Singapore | $650 |
| Rest of World | Less than $500 |
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/02/09/the-worl…
A problem, or Australia winning again?
Politically intractable, it seems.
The figures presented there are meaningless and stupid.
Australia's biggest gamblers and biggest gambling losers are almost all fly-in fly-out whales from the Asia region. They aren't even Australian's losing the biggest amount of money.
Like every per capita metric, the data represents residents
I would just like to thank the Aussies who are chipping in my $1,600.
and mine, my parents, my sisters, my partners and all my friends $1600
https://www.theage.com.au/national/these-charts-show-why-aus…
This article in The Age is very interesting.
The biggest problem is in the NT. Not surprising given NT seems to have a lot of problem issues.
The interesting thing is NSW. I wonder how much of this comes back to the RSL clubs being big gambling venues. I would really love to know where this money is going because we don't have a massive number of returned service people anymore. Get the government to pay for whatever service people need and close down the gambling in those clubs. It would do a lot more good than what they are doing now.
I would not be too surprised if there is more need for RSL clubs than before, Australia have been deploying troops in middle east and other places as well.
I 100% agree that it would be best if these clubs get funding directly from the government, just because of the impact of gambling on the community overall. That said, knowing the government, relying on them seems risky (half the reason why RSL is needed is because government supports failed to support veterans).
I don’t think the RSLs are necessary. If you look at the history of the RSL it is spotty at best.
I do think veterans are one of the more vulnerable populations, that requires more supports compared to general population.
I am not saying, RSL is the best solution for the issues that veterans may go through (legal issues, medical issues, homelessness etc), but rather, RSL would have helped at least some of those people. Government stepping in and helping more could result in a better, cheaper solution, but they are already spending a lot, so it's kinda catch 22.
Surely these absurd numbers reflect systematic tax evasion and money laundering.
@Gdsamp: You said the thing! Nice.