At the June 2015 meeting, Council resolved to support my recommendation that it support the formation of the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform (Alliance) is a newly-formed national collaboration of organisations with a shared concern about the harmful impacts of gambling in Australia. The Alliance seeks to campaign for reforms to the gambling industry to reduce poker machine-related harm and protect vulnerable communities from the increasing impacts of this harm as a consequence of more machines being moved into disadvantaged areas by the industry. The mission of the Alliance aligns closely with and progresses components of the local government Enough Pokies campaign which was led by Monash Council in 2014.
Council is a long-term state-wide leader in advocating to reduce harm from gambling. In 2014 Council led the state-wide local government campaign, Enough Pokies which successfully mobilised over 70 councils, the MAV, The Salvation Army, the VLGA and secured campaign contributions from 13 foundation councils. The campaign was implemented in conjunction with the November 2014 state election and its aim was to raise awareness of the predatory conduct of the major gaming operators which are increasing targeting and exploiting some of Victoria’s most disadvantaged communities with the placement of their poker machines. The campaign sought to highlight the frustrations of councils and communities across the state with the current regulatory framework for poker machine licensing in Victoria and the uneven playing field which exists at the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Enough Pokies was successful in bringing together an unprecedented coalition of councils advocating for pokies licensing system reform. State and national media coverage was achieved with The Age, Herald Sun, The Guardian and the ABC all running stories on the campaign. The campaign attracted 16,000 pledges of community support across the state for the campaign. Over 10,000 of these pledges were from Monash community members representing forty-eight community groups.
Enough Pokies proposed legislative amendments to the Gambling Regulation Act to better protect vulnerable communities from the targeted infiltration of pokies by the gambling industry. The new state government has agreed to meet to consider these amendments further in July 2015.
The work of Enough Pokies is a key part of the mission of the Alliance. I have been appointed as chair of the Alliance and have been participating until this point in an individual capacity. It makes sense for Council to now formally resolve to support the Alliance and my continuing involvement in it as Council’s representative. The Alliance represents the first time that key organisations have attempted to collaborate and pool their respective efforts, resources and talents to seek important reform in this area. Alliance board membership is comprised of leading experts and public spokespeople in gambling prevention – representing agencies across Victoria and Australia. Among others, it includes Tim Costello who has been one of the most publicly prominent advocates for gambling reform over the past two decades.
The first campaign goal of the Alliance is to lower the maximum bet on poker machines in Victoria to $1 per bet by the end of 2018, complemented by a suite of policies that reduce the harm caused by poker machines. This $1 bet campaign goal was also one of the goals identified and pursued through the Enough Pokies campaign. The Alliance also seeks to partner with councils to press for regulatory changes to the licensing system for the location and placement of poker machines, as sought through the Enough Pokies campaign. Alliance campaign activity is due to launch later in 2015. The Alliance board will oversee the implementation of the Alliance campaign plan. A National Campaign Manager has been appointed to implement the campaign.
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