samantha, vlga - pokies and politics

Politics and Pokies a bad mix for problem gamblers

VLGA Media Release








A peak body of local governments, community organisations and individual members concerned with the impacts of problem gambling on hundreds and thousands of Australians has called for the removal of politics from the cost of precommitment technology for pokies.

"The Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) has supported the Productivity Commission's recommendations on mandatory precommitment and is disappointed that neither the Federal not State Governments have taken the steps we would have like to have seen," VLGA President Cr Samantha Dunn said.

Responding to the recent news that the State Government will delay the implementation of voluntary precommitment on pokies in Victoria, Cr Dunn confirmed that she will be writing to the Premier and Gaming Minister.

"We'd like to test their view that introducing precommitment technology in Victoria has to be extended to 2016 due to its cost prohibitive nature. We'd like to know on what costing advice the government has made this call, especially given the Federal Minister's claim that their plans are no threat to the State Government delivering on their election commitment."

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