The plan to curb excess gambling on poker machines ebbs and flows, and the main casualty seems to be the clubs who gain much of their income from their popularity. They are spending big money to at least water down the harsher aspects of the legislation.
There have always been an anti-gambling lobby, mainly churches and welfare groups - but this demand for legislative action only arises from unusual circumstances. We had an election that nearly delivered a hung parliament - and a small group of independents found themselves with the balance of power. Each presented their demands to provide parliamentary support - and one of them was an anti-poker machine fanatic !
We now have a situation where to remain in office the Federal government must pass legislation to reduce the amount a gambler can lose on a poker machine - and do it within a given time frame.
Surely this must skirt dangerously close to the law that covers " making demands with menaces " ?
The curious thing is that all the other forms of gambling are left untouched. It is only poker machines that are the target of this legislation - and yet we read of punters losing their homes and businesses from gambling addiction in casinos and there are those who become totally addicted to horse racing - and the lure of bookmaker's odds.
Without the power transferred to several individuals by the vagaries of the electoral system this attack on poker machines would not be happening. Neither of the major political parties has any real interest and gambling legislation is the prerogative of state governments anyway.
The pressure is on to rush this new law through within a strict time frame because it seems certain that when the next Federal election occurs somewhere in 2013 this balance of power situation will have evaporated.
Just another of those curious twists and turns delivered by a democratic voting system !
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