Pokies exit a boon: report
Money would flow to other businesses
REMOVING poker machines from pubs and clubs will bring significant economic benefits to the state, a new report says.
The report, to be released by Anglicare today, will coincide with further public hearings in the parliamentary inquiry into the future of gaming in Tasmania.
A study by John Mangan, of the University of Queensland, examines the economics of removing poker machines from the pubs and clubs in Tasmania that currently house them and restricting the machines to casinos.
Professor Mangan said the study found taking poker machines out of pubs would lead to up to $113 million a year in spending redirected into other local businesses.
“My report spells out the minimal economic contribution made to the Tasmanian economy under the current arrangements, and the timely opportunity for economic benefit if poker machines were confined to casinos,” he said,
Anglicare Social Action and Research Centre spokeswoman Meg Webb said the report added economic weight to the evidence of social harm caused by poker machines.
During previous hearings the committee has heard accounts of the misery caused by poker machines as a result of gambling addiction.
Professor Mangan will give evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into gaming today, along with Anglicare and the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.
Meanwhile pub owners have argued strongly that they should be given the right to own machines outright, rather than sharing the profits with monopoly licence holder Federal Group.
Premier Will Hodgman told the committee in March that the idea the State Government was addicted to poker machine revenue was unfounded, with revenue making up just 1 per cent of the state budget.
The Liberals have said they won’t remove poker machines from pubs but will put the right to own them out to tender, breaking Federal’s monopoly post-2023. Labor is yet to form a final position pending the outcome of the inquiry.
A coalition of 42 Tasmanian church, union, council and community groups has launched a campaign calling for the removal of poker machines from pubs and clubs.