Yep the govt must have gone insane. What sane govt would allow its adult citizens to make their own decisions about how to live their lives.

As someone with a problem gambler in the family, I say ban it.

This is not a matter of whether we regulate gambling or not - gambling is already regulated. (The government moderates and affects our decisions daily - that's how society works. If you don't like, go form some anarchic agricultural collective.) This is a matter of how far and what we regulate. All this particular regulation will do is allow TabCorp, Foxtel and the Vic Govt to swindle more money out of poor people by denying them some of the last responsibilities they had that prevented them from losing the house - looking after their kids, cultural attitudes. All it's doing is driving desperation indoors, so it can be practiced in private. And who cares? Tim Costello and the Salvos - the ones who will be dealing with the financial and emotional devastation that follows.

We have stricter regulations on smoking marijuana than gambling, and yet gambling is by far the more dangerous activity. I think it's totally appalling.

Sorry mate you dither about nothing, do we ban the net? you can gamble here in a second.
You can bet on the sport or races here or on the phone too.
I do often.
I am free to do as I wish with my money and while the interest rates are often bad what makes you think we all finish up liveing under a tree?
Much ado about nothing indeed.

Dear Vanilla :) "ban it" ?

good grief.. my 'intolerance meter' is bouncing of full scale deflection.

but I do agree nevertheless.

The more governments come to rely on income from such dubious sources, the harder it will be to wean them off it.

It is the nature of capitalist market driven economies to continually take the line of least resistance. Sad..but true.

If its a slow seller..'MORE SEX'

and so it goes on.

Vanilla.. just out of curiosity.. your worry is a problem gambler in the family.. My concern is the impact of XXX rated porn on indigenous communities. Do you agree to ban XXX rated porn available from the ACT also ?

BOAZ-D

"Do you agree to ban XXX rated porn available from the ACT also ?"

What's this? Can you get this from the ACT?
I know it's getting away from the subject....but I obtained (legally in the seventies) a silencer for a .22 rifle only available in the ACT.
What's going on in ACT? Do we have special reg's there do we? I never woken-up to it in that time.