The Pokemon GO craze has tapped in to our desire to seek out rewards. But there different types of rewards in life, each designed to capture our attention, even train our behaviour.
How could Maurice Blackburn prove that poker machine gamblers might be misled by the ‘losses disguised as wins’ technique?
AAP/Paul Jeffers
Law firm Maurice Blackburn that plans to use Australian consumer law to argue that poker machine operators are engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct to trick gamblers into using poker machines.
The level of contributions made by clubs to community purposes is low as a proportion of poker machine revenue.
Michael Coghlan
Some clubs provide genuine benefits to their communities. Unfortunately, clubs have developed significant poker machine dependency – an average of about 60% of total revenue.
Why are pokies so attractive? And why do we spend so much on them?
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
The basic characteristics of pokies, combined with constantly refined game features, provide a stimulus to the brain that, in many cases, leads to a form of addiction.
Former minister Peter Garrett retracted claims about receiving cash in an envelope from a representative of a gambling industry lobby group.
AAP/Marianna Massey
The gambling industry knows how to wield power, and does it with great expertise, backed by significant resources.
The Kirner government passed legislation in 1991 to enable a duopoly to establish poker machine venues in local hotels and clubs in Victoria.
AAP/Dan Peled
Joan Kirner was persuaded by an eager pro-gambling lobby that the financial benefits would save Victoria – and her government. But they certainly didn’t save her government.
Your odds of winning are greatly improved if you own a casino.
Gambling is good business, or at least a profitable one. According to the American Gaming Association, in 2012 the 464 commercial casinos in the US served 76.1 million patrons and grossed $US37.34 billion…
Gambling products are only harmful when people consume too much of them.
Carol Von Canon
Most people are aware of the harms of problem gambling. Playing pokie machines, placing bets and visiting casinos can be a very expensive form of entertainment. And when gamblers lose more than they can…
The Cameron government’s reported willingness to curb some of the excesses of electronic casino games in betting shops (fixed odds betting terminals) is to be welcomed. Yet without far-reaching reforms…
The Coalition’s policy to combat problem gambling is treatment focused, excludes potential online competitors and makes no funding commitment. What influenced its creation?
AAP/Dan Peled
The Coalition has released its policy “to help problem gamblers” under that very title. If the betting markets are any guide, the Coalition is poised to win government on September 7, so the likelihood…
Wilkie: The poker machine reforms are the “best we can get in the current circumstances”.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Watered-down poker machine reforms designed to protect problem gamblers will go ahead after Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie reluctantly gave his support to the Government legislation. Mr Wilkie…