Anglicare pushes for Tasmania pokies ban
A pokies ban could save Tasmania millions, says Anglicare.
In a special report, Anglicare says removing poker machines from Tasmania’s pubs and clubs would bring massive economic benefits to the state.
According to the report’s author John Mangan, Tasmanians visiting the state’s pubs and clubs lose on average $113 million on poker machines.
The assumption behind the report is that people are less likely to spend their money on poker machines at the casino than they would at pubs and clubs.
Professor Mangan has produced an economic model showing a ban would deliver significant economic and social benefits for Tasmania.
It shows that 670 full time jobs would be created if 100 per cent of gambling losses from pubs and hotels were to be diverted, adding $45 million in wages, profits and dividends and $91 million annually to Tasmania’s gross output.
Even at its most conservative estimates, with only half the gambling losses diverted, the exercise would create 183 full time jobs, add $33 million annually in gross output with $21 million in net additions to gross state product and it would generate $11 million in wages, profits and dividends.
The report also found that the Tasmanian government was not dependent on gambling. It only contributed 1 per cent of state revenue.
According to Professor Mangan’s report, most of the money from poker machines is leaving the state through poker machine leases or to private shareholders
He said that allowed the state to restructure the industry without affecting its budget.
“Tasmania has such a small exposure in terms of its revenue,” Professor Mangan told the ABC.
He said this “a great opportunity to change the structures of the industry which is creating problems all across Australia.”
The report comes at a time when the Tasmanian government has pledged to put gaming licences out to public tender.
by Leon Gettler, August 14th 2017
