The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) has scolded plans for a Brisbane-based mega casino, saying that the Australian gambling industry was the “blind spot” of the country’s economy. The Alliance for Gambling Reform further said that gambling in Australia much resembled the National Rifle Association of the US.
October 19th is the last day for public consultation on the Queen’s Wharf-based entertainment area that is to include a casino, too. The criticism of the project comes only a day after three former employees of Crown Resorts’ Melbourne casino accused the gambling operator in misconducting the casino and deliberately interfering with poker machines, and at the same time failing to report some incidents of domestic violence and drug taking by gamblers.
Star Entertainment Group has already started working on the Brisbane casino development. Previously, the gambling giant has shared that the casino project was expected to create over 2,000 construction jobs, as well as further 8,000 jobs as soon as the entertainment area starts running. According to the Government’s estimates, such an entertainment hub would attract almost 1.39 million new visitors to the city.
Tim Costello’s Commentary
As reported by ABC News, the spokesman of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, described the development in Brisbane as fully lacking responsibility. Mr. Costello further shared his opinion that the fact that Queensland is to lead to other states with the number of casinos, while Sudney is about to be given permission for two gambling venues, while other states have only one, could be described as “a bankrupt social policy”.
Also, according to Costello, the fact that 20% of the world’s poker machines were located in Australia made the casino and gaming industry of the country an equivalent of the NRA in the US. The spokesman of the Alliance for Gambling Reform further shared that the large number of slots machines meant that Australia had the largest number of problem gamblers by a country mile.
Costello also said that Queensland Government had accepted the policy of attracting high rollers as they were able to spend a lot of money, despite the business model of local casinos depended much on poker machines, hoping that the latter would enhance their performance. He criticised the “cosy” relationship between state governments and treasuries on one hand, and local casinos, on the other hand. These relationships were the basis of a vicious circle that could end up with a state regulator that investigates a gambling company actually investigating itself.
New Casino Projects Could Be Devastating, Says Castello
According to Mr. Costello, the bigger picture is not as good as operators try to make it look like. He shared his belief that the actual effect of new casinos establishment would increase the number of domestic violence by gamblers, and would also make a larger number of smaller businesses go bankrupt.
Yesterday’s allegations against Crown Resorts are quite serious, especially considering the fact that the former employees of the Crown Melbourne casino accuse the operator in tampering with slots machines. Things get even more serious when the ex staff members of the casino said that the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation that is supposed to investigate Crown, had already found out that the machines had been interfered with and had chosen to cover up the issue rather than take suitable actions.
- Author
Daniel Williams
