Australia's Problem Gambling Issue Heats Up

Australian government officials are desperately working on a solution to contain their gambling public. The population of Australia is just over 20 million people and the total amount of money reportedly lost through gambling in Australia is slightly over $20 billion U.S. dollars in 2008,09 that averages out to about $1,550 U.S. dollars per gambler. These figures, according to the Australian Productivity Commission represents a whopping 3.1 percent of Australia's current household consumption.

Most opinions say the issue is created by the almost 200,000 slot machines or pokies as they are called in Australia. Online gambling is not really factored  into these figures and it were the number could expand by another 800 million U.S. dollars every year. Australia has the seventh-highest total number of gaming machines in the world about 108 per person.
Despite the Australian Productivity Commission report that recommended legalizing online gambling the Gillard government has refused to go in that direction. Instead gambling reform has been promised and it looks likely that may not happen.
Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie, has lead the charge for restrictions on how much Australians should be allowed to wager. Speculation is growing that possible reform is being sidelined by a group of dissenters to the plan. The proposed mandatory pre-commitment is opposed by media and sports organizations that benefit an employ thousands of Australians.

The estimated social cost of problem gambling is estimated at least 5 billion a year. The proponents of the government legislation o limit gambling by imposing preset limits on the pokies say, "It's mandatory to wear a seatbelt, to wear a helmet on a bike. It's illegal to serve alcohol to someone who is already drunk and there are limits on where people can smoke -- to prevent the impact of passive smoking. This is all good public policy that has led to healthier communities."
"Mandatory pre-commitment measures will help gamblers who want to help themselves and help protect a significant number of at risk players from becoming problem gamblers."