"LOSS LIMITS" to reduce Addiction

Devastated by Gambling Addiction and its accompanying costs: "bankruptcy, the loss of the home, domestic violence, mental illness, suicide and even murder", Australia is proposing sensible "LOSS LIMITS" as a way to curb the damage.

It might be wise for Massachusetts to heed the experiences of others.

Limit pokies loss to $120, report urges
BY PETER JEAN

Pokie players would be limited to losing a maximum of $120 per hour unless they signed up to pre-commitment schemes, under reforms proposed by a federal parliamentary committee.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is confident Parliament will pass the proposed reforms, despite opposition from the Coalition and the clubs industry.

The committee chaired by Mr Wilkie recommended that gambling venues be given two options for addressing problem poker machine gambling.

Under the first option, machines would programmed to ''low intensity settings'' with a maximum of $1 per bet with jackpots of no more than $500.

Alternatively, pre-commitment schemes could be established which required players to set a limit on how much money they could lose during a gambling session.

The schemes would come into force in 2014 but smaller clubs with up to 15 machines would not have to comply until 2018.

Mr Wilkie said the measures were necessary because 95,000 Australians were problem poker machine gamblers.

''We are talking about millions of Australians who are in some way touched by poker machine problem gambling. Problems that routinely result in bankruptcy, the loss of the home, domestic violence, mental illness, suicide and even murder,'' he said.

Mr Wilkie was confident he could win support for the measures from the Government and a majority of cross-bench MPs.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the Government would analyse the committee's report before responding to its recommendations but she was personally committed to taking acting to address problem gambling.

ClubsACT chief executive Jeff House said there was no evidence that the measures proposed by the committee would reduce problem gambling.

''Mr Wilkie is already on record as saying that if he had his way there would be no poker machines in Australia and the report that we have seen him hand down is a reflection of his prejudicial position against poker machines.''