Clubcare support is damage control
ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has welcomed ACT clubsâ?? renewed support for Lifelineâ??s problem gambling service Clubcare, announced today, but argued for a broader response to the harm cause by gambling from the ACT Government and the industry.
â??Clubcare is important as it offers support for people with gambling problems when they need itâ?? Dr Foskey said today.
â??The drop in support for the program over the past few years reflected badly on the gaming industry in Canberra. I was pleased to see a few more of Canberraâ??s clubs came back on board this three year extension to the Clubcare program.â??
â??Of course, in the context of recent public debate about the negative impact of poker machines around Australia, it makes good business sense to do a bit of damage control. I suspect that is what this initiative is all about.â??
â??The net gaming machine revenue of clubs in the ACT is $110m a year, over $40m of which â?? according to Productivity Commission estimates â?? comes from people with gambling problems.â??
â??And so, while the Clubcare investment of one million dollars over three years sounds significant, it is less than one percent of the income from problem gambling, and it only funds the bare bones of a gambling counselling service in the ACT.â??
â??Sadly, Lifeline will have to look elsewhere for funds for its gambling help phone service - which is, after all, how most people first make contact with Clubcare services.â??
â??Of course, the other big winners from gaming in the ACT are the Labor Party (as the Electoral Commission reporting shows) and the ACT Government.â??
â??The Greens will be looking to the Stanhope Labor Government to come up with more funds for the phone counselling services and educational programs in this year's budgetâ?? Dr Foskey said.
