By Annette Shailer
The Australian club industry called for a national inquiry into gambling at its biannual conference in Adelaide last week.
Registered club representatives have demanded the inquiry, the first in nine years, to eradicate incorrect information and old statistics before the introduction of new legislation to regulate the industry.
ClubsNSW media relations manager, Jeremy Bath, stressed the importance of Federal politicians being fully informed on the facts despite gambling being a state responsibility.
“There’s a good chance we’ll see a national inquiry into gambling as Kevin Rudd is indicating changes for the industry, and it would be the Federal Government that brings in an independent organisation to undertake the inquiry,” Bath said.
The call for an enquiry on the back of the Victorian Government announcing its intention to ban ATMs at clubs and pubs and require new mechanisms that allow players to pre-commit the amount of time and money spent on machines.
Also discussed at the conference was the importance of registered clubs and their financial support to the community.
“Registered clubs are not-for-profit organisations meaning all surplus funds go back into the community in the form of services such as sporting facilities and subsidised food and drink. This is enforced by law and is the only model of community-owned gaming in the world,” said Bath.