Fed: ATMs in pokies venues are wrong: Rudd

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2008
Fed: ATMs in pokies venues are wrong: Rudd

By Kate Corbett

CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to talk to anti-poker
machine campaigners demanding strict new laws to limit gambling losses.

Mr Rudd made it clear today he has some personal sympathy with their views, agreeing
that automatic teller machines (ATMs) in poker machine venues are wrong.

Former South Australian state politician Nick Xenophon will bring the anti-pokies message
to federal parliament mid-year when he takes up the Senate seat he won at the November
election.

Mr Xenophon wants strict new laws on gambling, including smart cards to set daily limits
on the amount players can pump into linked poker machines and laws forbidding ATMs in
gambling areas.

"Frankly I think it is wrong that they (ATMs) are there - that's my personal view,"

Mr Rudd told the Nine Network today.

Mr Xenophon said people had to put into perspective the damage that pokies caused to
families, businesses and the society as a whole, despite the money brought in to state
budgets.

"Pokies taxes are fools' gold," he told Sky News.

"If there are alternative sources of revenue, if we reduce the states' reliance on
gambling taxes you actually see more economic activity in other sectors of the economy
and the feared tax losses just won't materialise because people will be spending more
money elsewhere in a way that doesn't cause the social harm, the social impact that pokies
do."

Mr Xenophon has also been promised the support of maverick Nationals senator Barnaby
Joyce in his campaign.

"I'm on side," Mr Joyce told Fairfax newspapers.

"It is not tolerable any more that state governments, pubs and hotels make money out
of these addictions."

Mr Rudd said he looked forward to talking with Mr Xenophon and his fellow campaigners.

"I do not want to promise the world here but I know we have a problem and I know that
in partnership with states and territories we can work through an agreed analysis on the
social impact and what to do about it."

Treasurer Wayne Swan said any gambling reforms must take into consideration the huge
reliance on gambling by state governments.

"We've got to get the balance right between social responsibility on the one hand and
economic responsibility on the other," Mr Swan told Network Ten today.

"I think it's a very sensible thing the prime minister is doing, sitting down and talking
to MPs who have these concerns, looking at all of the issues ... we'll make our evaluations
after we have been through that process."

But gaming machine manufacturers feel they are being treated unfairly and want a balanced
discussion on the facts.

"Emotive claims about gaming machines are becoming common and it's time there was some
sensible debate based on facts," executive officer of the Australasian Gaming Machine
Manufacturers Association (AGMMA) Ross Ferrar said in a statement.

"Many of the negative claims are actually myths, seemingly announced purely for publicity
purposes."

Mr Ferrar said Australian gaming machines were manufactured to exacting technical,
electrical and other standards.

"Australian gaming regulation is regarded as the toughest in the world and the standards
and procedures required by the respective authorities are continually strengthened in
light of perceived best practice" Ferrar said.

AAP kc/jt/de

KEYWORD: POKIES NIGHTLEAD

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