Gaming report delayed

TASMANIANS will go to the polls in March without a critical current report on the key election issue of gambling and poker machines.

A Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania is required every three years under the Gaming Control Act 1993.

The Department of Treasury let a tender in December, 2016, to a consortium comprising Melbourne firm Acil Allen Consulting, Deakin University, Central Queensland University and the Social Research Centre with a completion date of December last year.

A divergence of opinion emerged yesterday on whether the report was finished.

Author of the study Jerome Fahrer told the Mercury the study was finished and a copy had been sent to Treasury before Christmas.

However, a government spokesman said: “The study hasn’t been finished by the consultant and therefore is yet to be received by government.”

Either way, voters will not get the benefit of the study because it must be tabled in Parliament and there are no sitting dates scheduled before the March election.

Poker machines have emerged as a key election issue after Labor leader Rebecca White drove a wedge between the respective party policies by promising to ban pokies from pubs and clubs.

Critically, part of the study looks at “the impact of the industry on other parts of the economy”.

It comes as debate between Labor and Liberal on the effect on jobs of Labor’s policy ratcheted up a notch yesterday.

The study will be the fourth social and economic impact study of gambling undertaken by ACIL Allen, with others in 2014, 2011 and 2008.

An issues paper, which has been released, suggested five major components: A TELEPHONE survey of gambling participation, frequency and expenditure and problem gambling. CONSULTATIONS with gamblers and affected others to explore the nature of gambling harms. DATA analysis of key trends in the gambling industry and economic modelling of the size of the industry. INTERVIEWS with stakeholders on trends in the gambling industry and the impact of the industry on other parts of the economy.

The issues paper said 3573 people were licensed to perform gambling-related work.

Tasmanians lose about $110 million a year on pokies in about 100 pubs and clubs, compared with $71 million at two casinos.

There are 390 people excluded under the Tasmanian Gambling Exclusion Scheme including 298 self-exclusions, 98 by venue operator and one by a third party.

Labor deputy leader Michelle O’Byrne said the Government had accepted the gambling industry’s claims that Labor’s policy put 5000 jobs at risk. “Premier Will Hodgman must explain what advice from Treasury he relied on to develop the Liberal policy on gaming,” she said.

Ms O’Byrne said the Gov- ernment had outsourced to the industry the response to Labor’s ban on poker machines in pubs and clubs.

But a government spokesman said Treasurer Peter Gutwein had written the Government policy whereas Labor had adopted the Greens policy.

“If the Premier is prepared to include that claim [5000 jobs] in his policy, he needs to back it up,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“Is the Premier saying each of the 97 venues in the state with poker machines would lose more than 50 workers?

Ms O’Byrne said it was time the Liberals were honest about donations from the pro-pokies lobby.