Around 120 employees of Mingara Recreational Clubs are reportedly under threat, if the federal government presses on with its plan to cap losses on poker machines.
The club’s CEO says it could see a revenue drop of 40-per cent under the scheme.
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Your coverage is very unbalanced.How about mentioning the devastation that is wrought by problem gambling.One could be forgiven for thinking that NBN is being paid to push only one side of the story.
Go and do some real investigative journalism( do you know what that is?) instead of being lazy and acting as an uncritical mouth piece for the clubs.No wonder the media is held in such low repute.
Barry Smith
Obviously Barry also has a one sided opinion – Just like the Federal Labor Government! Pandering to one independent to remain in power and costing thousands of jobs without an ounce of proof that this will stop problem gambling is playing (pardon the pun) Russion Roulette with Australian’s lives.
Where will these club staff find alternative employment – I guarantee that with the local area’s rising unemployment rate it will not be on the Central Coast!
A trial of Mandatory pre-commitment was attempted in Mr Wilkie’s own electorate and was skittled before it began. What’s wrong with putting more cash into counselling services and cost effective voluntary pre-commitment (which some venues have already installed?)
This is an emotive issue that has some way to go before it is resolved. Either it will be watered down or Julia will be a one term wonder!
The Federal Government is being held to ransom by the Independent Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania. They want to introduce Mandatory PreCommitment whereby every poker machine in Australia will be locked and the only way to play the machine is to use a card issued by the Federal Government. This card will be set to a daily limit and when you reach that daily limit you will be locked out of every machine in Australia for the remainder of the day, This limit is set by you, you could set it at $1 or $1million or even unlimited. So how will it help the 0.4% of the Australians who have a problem will gambling? it wont, the only way to help a problem gambler is to stop them gambling and get them professional help.
How will this effect Clubs? The problem gambler will apply for their card with their personal spend limit and continue to play the machines just as they currently do, but the recreational gambler will not apply for this card, they will not allow the Federal Government to watch over their recreational spending; the occasional $5 that a couple of mates flutter away once every now & then when they are enjoying a catch up beer will be gone because neither of them will have applied to the Federal Government for their license to punt. It is this occasional recreational spend that Clubs will miss and eventually result in the club closing.
The greater Community misses out on funding from the clubs, 99.60% of the Nation who can control themselves are deprived of this social outlet and the 0.4% of the Nation who have a problem continue on with their illness via other forums such as the unregulated Internet sites using their credit cards.
Mingara staff.
Did anyone of you intervene when my ex spent $200,000 at your club ( and another local club) and even mention any form of help for her? NO.
The kids and I will be paying that debt for a very long time.
Have you any idea at all what the families go through?
Personally I’m against the new proposed changes. However I can not see the government totally banning them as I’d like as they too rake in a fortune.
Maybe you could just try and entertain your members instead thinking you are a casino.