Who voted for less privacy?
If the Federal Government gets its way it will be able to keep tabs on how much you gamble.
Australia is a nation of gamblers. Whether it be two-up on ANZAC Day, a flutter on the Melbourne Cup, or betting on two flies racing up a wall we Aussies love a punt. But we know it’s an adult activity and it’s risky.
Most of us do it responsibly, some people are problem gamblers. Those people are addicts; they need counselling and treatment, not a way to gamble ‘safely’.
The Federal Government has a different idea. They want all poker machine players to have to get a licence to punt and to pre-set the amount you wish to spend before each session. This would apply to everyone, whether you’re a problem gambler or not.
We believe this would be a massive breach of your privacy. To play a poker machine, the Government wants all poker machine players to show identification and register. All players would need to use a card with pre-set spending limits. If you don’t have a card, you can’t play. Once you’ve reached your limit, you will be prevented from playing any machine in Australia for at least 24 hours, maybe longer.
In order to restrict your access to machines once you hit your card’s limit, the Government will need to create a national database of poker machine players. The database will be huge – it has to monitor the 5 million people who play pokies each year. Through the database, the Government will be able to track how much time and money you spend every time you play.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions: What happens if you lose your card? Will someone be able to read how much money you spent? Will the Government be able to compare how much you gambled against your income tax return? Who will run the database and will your private information be secure? The Government has not answered these questions – but you have a right to know the answers.
The Federal Government wants to treat all gamblers as problem gamblers. It’s un-Australian.
A licence to punt is an attack on clubs and pubs. It is an attack on your right to privacy. It’s un-Australian
Who voted for less privacy? Click here to join the campaign and tell your MP that you didn’t..