Gambling in Victoria, Australia
When one thinks of the Great Southern Land, one hardly associates the term 'Gambling Capital' with our wide-open spaces and pristine coastlines. Why is it, then, that approximately 82% of adult Australians gamble - the highest current rate in the world? Gambling has become a progressively predominant, but clandestine problem in Australia, with Victoria now leading the way in being the state most heavily reliant on gambling revenue. Government figures released in this years budget show that Victoria will collect about $1.4 billion in gambling taxes this financial year, a figure that represents more than $300 for every person in the state. Similarly, gambling expenditures (losses) more than doubled per capita in real terms in Australia over the past decade. They trebled in Victoria. This, combined with the increasingly critical circumstances surrounding problem gamblers, gives rise to the question of whether the number of gambling opportunities in Victoria should be reduced.Whilst gambling comes in many forms, it is clear that poker machines are at the head of Victoria's gambling problem. These destructive mechanisms have now overtaken all other forms of gambling, and in the last financial year alone, Victorians spent $6.5
It has been estimated that in the light of the increase in gambling expenditure, problem gamblers account for one-third of all gambling and 42 per cent of poker machine gambling. Additionally, the Productivity Commission report found that 2.3% of adult Australians have extensive gambling problems, losing more than $12,000 each a year. In a survey conducted by the same board, it was established that 42% of problem gamblers had gone without food as a result of their habit, more than 90% considered themselves depressed as a result of their gambling, 37% had considered suicide, while 11.2% had attempted to kill themselves. About 52% of problem gamblers said they had borrowed money and not paid it back, 36% said they had sold property to raise money to bet and 43% said they sometimes went without food to pay for their addiction. One in four suffered divorce or separation and one in 10 had attempted suicide. Poverty, broken homes, family hardship, crime; it is clear that gambling has become an obdurate social problem. The government has clearly indicated its goal of eliminating the issue of problem gambling with its existing policies include capping the number of poker machines in certain regions, limiting 24 hour venues, restrictions on gambling advertising and a campaign to raise awareness of problem gambling. Recently proposed reforms including reduced gambling advertising, requiring winnings in excess of $2000 to be paid by cheque rather than cash, a restriction on gaming machines to prevent them from accepting $100 notes, limiting individual
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Approximate Word count = 1049
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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