1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: bunjelung Caalcutin woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torrestrate 5 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: island and nations. We pay our respects to the first 6 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily os It's Monday, 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: the nineteenth of September. I'm Zara, I'm billy in an 9 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 2: Australian first. The Tasmanian government has announced they're going to 10 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: be implementing new harmonimization rules around pokeys, with caps on 11 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 2: how much money gamblers can actually lose. Before we get 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: into that, Billy, what's making headlines this morning? 13 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 3: Ukrainian authorities say they've found a mass grave with more 14 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 3: than four hundred and forty bodies near the town of 15 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 3: idiom Idium, is part of the territory Ukraine has regained 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 3: from Russia in the country's northeast. 17 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: Prime Minister Anthony Albanezi met with King Charles the Third 18 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 2: over the weekend, describing it as a great honor the 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: PM filed past the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall and 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: signed a condolence book before meeting the new monarch. When 21 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: asked if he had raised the issue of a republic, 22 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: Albanizi said now was not the time. 23 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 3: Australia has seen a spike in deaths by drowning. Experts 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 3: say it's partly due to children missing swimming lessons during 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 3: the pandemic, and has also a shortage of swimming instructors 26 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 3: and lifeguards. 27 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: And in today's good news, a Lismo based theater company 28 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 2: has put on its first production since the town was 29 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 2: ravaged by deadly floods earlier this year. The company normally 30 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: operates out of Lismore City Hall, but is putting on 31 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 2: its sold out original production in a temporary grandstand as 32 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: the hall is still in disrepair. Gambling is big business 33 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: in Australia, and that is especially true when it comes 34 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: to Pokeys. In the TDA office, we were pretty intrigued 35 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 2: by this story out of Tazzi where the government has 36 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 2: taken a really big step to help people struggling with gambling. Billy, 37 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 2: can you just talk me through what this new policy 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 2: actually is? 39 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 3: Yep, So, Michael Ferguson, who is the Treasurer and Deputy 40 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 3: Premier of Tasmania. And now it's at the end of 41 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 3: last week that all Pokey's in the state, so across hotels, 42 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 3: clubs and casinos, will be cashless by the end of 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 3: twenty twenty four. And not only that, but anyone who 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 3: wants to use Pokeys will have to register for a 45 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: card with a pre set limit on how much money 46 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 3: they can lose. 47 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 2: Okay, so what are the limits that are being imposed? 48 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 3: So the default is that you'll only be able to 49 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: lose up to one hundred dollars a day, five hundred 50 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 3: dollars a month, and five thousand dollars a year. And 51 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 3: I say default because you can also choose to lower 52 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: those if you want, but you can only raise them 53 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 3: if you can prove that you can afford to lose 54 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 3: more than that. Now the government's calling this whole system 55 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 3: routine default pre commitment, and so that's a bit of jargon, 56 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 3: but it basically means that anyone who wants to gamble 57 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 3: using Pokeys anywhere across the state is entering into this 58 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 3: agreement to only play up to those limits. 59 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: Okay, But tax revenue is a big thing for governments 60 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: and for gambling. So this is a really interesting choice 61 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: from the Tasmanian government. 62 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really interesting because they could lose a lot 63 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 3: of money from it, but they're basically saying that it's 64 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 3: important for the mental health and the financial responsibility of 65 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: its constituents. And so the reason that the Tasmanian government 66 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 3: has chosen to take this action is because of two 67 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 3: big reports from the Liquor and Gaming Commission that came 68 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 3: through earlier this year. Now, one was about how Tasmanians 69 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 3: gamble and one made recommendations about how to minimize harms 70 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 3: that gambling called. Now, the first report that I mentioned 71 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 3: there found that Tasmanian gamblers had a median daily spend 72 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 3: of two hundred dollars and when you add that up, 73 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,839 Speaker 3: that's about fourteen hundred dollars a week, so it's quite 74 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: a significant amount. And the second report that I mentioned 75 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 3: made recommendations on how to address the issue of the 76 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 3: problem of gambling, including the card based system, which has 77 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 3: now been adopted by the Tasmanian government. And that report 78 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 3: also said that the card based system would be the 79 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 3: most effective if it was mandatory and statewide. 80 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 2: Okay, so this was a government decision and we know 81 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: this will impact people who gamble. But on the flip 82 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 2: side of that, the other voices in this story are 83 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: industry groups and those that manufacture pokeys and run the 84 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 2: venues that they're in. I imagine their response to this 85 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 2: hasn't been too positive. 86 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 3: Yes, well you guess right, Zara. Industry groups are not 87 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 3: exactly thrilled about this. The Tasmanian Hospitality Association or THHA, 88 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 3: which is the peak body for pubs and clubs in 89 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 3: the state, released a statement titled lies, Lies and more lies. 90 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: Okay, well that doesn't leave much to the imagination. But 91 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 2: what are they actually saying? Are the lies here? 92 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 3: Okay, so this explanation requires a little bit of political context, 93 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 3: but stay with me. So Tasmania has had a liberal 94 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 3: government since twenty and fourteen, so through three elections and 95 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 3: three premiers. Some of what THHA has issues with are 96 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 3: promises made by previous premiers. At the twenty and eighteen election, 97 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 3: the previous premier Will Hodgman campaigned on a promise to 98 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 3: keep pokeys in pubs and clubs and to maintain quote 99 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 3: freedom of choice. Now, the TCHA says this new decision 100 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 3: goes against all of the talk from the twenty and 101 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 3: eighteen election and says that the government has quote failed Tasmanians. 102 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 3: The poker machine industry also did give almost half a 103 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 3: million dollars to the Liberals in their election campaign in 104 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 3: twenty eighteen, so maybe they perhaps hoped for a different outcome. 105 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 3: I think it's safe to say. 106 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 2: This is without doubt a very big step for Tasmania, 107 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: especially when you consider how much of a problem gambling 108 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: is in that state. Where are other states in the 109 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 2: country at with this. 110 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 3: There's nothing exactly like this, but there are some other initiatives. 111 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 3: Some pubs and clubs in South Australia use facial recognition 112 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 3: technology to monitor self declared problem gamblers, and so that's 113 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 3: an opt in process for people who perhaps think that 114 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 3: they might have a gambling addiction, where they can choose 115 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 3: to have the software identify them and alert staff to 116 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 3: their presence, and an industry body for clubs in the 117 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 3: Act has recommended that their state adopts it to On 118 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 3: a smaller scale, a poker machine manufacturer is overseeing a 119 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 3: cashlest gambling trial at a club in Newcastle in New 120 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 3: South Wales, and that will happen later this month, so 121 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 3: we'll see how it goes for them. 122 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 2: So they you're talking about one club in Newcastle. Have 123 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: there been any other examples of that smaller scale initiative. 124 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. 125 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 3: One example that comes to my is a Sydney venue, 126 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 3: the p Disham Bowling Club, which ditched their pokies in 127 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 3: two thousand and six and that was quite newsworthy at 128 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 3: the time because it was considered such a unique decision 129 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 3: for that industry. And sixteen years later, I think my 130 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 3: mass is correct there. They're still open and operating despite 131 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 3: being told by industry groups that they would never survive 132 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: without the revenue from these machines. 133 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: Thank you for joining us on the daily OS. If 134 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: you learn something from today's episode, don't forget to hit subscribe. 135 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: So there's a TDA episode waiting for you every weekday morning. 136 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: We'll be back again tomorrow, but until them, have a 137 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 2: brilliant Monday.