The NSW government is the one addicted to pokies. They would become insolvent if not for pokie revenue. It's one of yer more regressive taxes, yet quite voluntary. A lazy 2 Billion a year comes in handy to a wasteful state governmnet.

I think it should be amplified. I believe all state revenue should come from traffic fines and gambling. It's all voluntary and if people are happy to fund our schools and hospitals while they watch flashing lights (pokies and speed cameras), I can only see that as a good thing.

In fact, if we made all tax a lottery where a few people won people would be much happier to pay tax. I always look at the queue outside news agents when there is a big lotto jackpot and think to my self what a generous community I live in, where all these people are lining up to pay their share.

People addicted are at least getting that dream of being rich. I sometimes buy a lotto ticket, and hold it in my wallet for a year, and never check the numbers so I am potentially a millionaire, and my dream lasts and lasts. Saves a lot of money by not buying a new one every week.

People can get addicted to anything. Take away pokies and they'll just switch to horses, or sex or drugs or shopping. Sex and drugs don't give as big a benefit to the community, but I suppose we could convert them to shopping. We're always in need of a good little consumer, it helps Our Lord, the Economy.

Hee, hee, Houellie, I love your logic....

My pappy managed to keep us fairly poor by an addiction to gambling on the gee gees. You're right that humans are uncommonly inspired by their addictive tendencies.....and the government takes full advantage of that. Pokies do seem rather convenient - a machine with lights and colours and "action".

Yep, it could be the pinnacle of evolution : )

mate..there is a thing called found money
[money that isnt 'real' to us
cause we didnt eaern it

or stole it
o won it

we try to get rid of it quickly
there is nothing wrong with pulling the handle a few times

but those who do it for hours at a time
mate..their trying to forget
how they found the money

that we got the head of channle 9
advocating for these diehards to keep gambling
that he has sports bet on his football shows
that tv influences sports

mate these fools
with found money
let them pay more tax

sue a drink cant hurt you
but many drinks make you drunk
the main driver in this loves taking your cash

its only fair to limit..how much of these druugie addicted to gambling
tax they should be allowed to take..at any given time

heck they can index tax on smoking addiction
but cant tax miners,..gamblers..bankers nor hookers

foot ball is for those that like balls
run by those who would eat em

watched by those who like to watch
and gambled on by fools with too much found cash
or that like to pull on the handle

How can you put a ban on one gambling outlet, such as poker-machines, and yet allow horse-racing, two-up (legal in Kalgoorlie during Race-round), but a two-up 'place' out of town. Should we stop people drinking?, betting on the AFL, and other games?, As a young lady in Sydney in the sixties, we used to go the the sporting club and play the poker machines, the difference was that we took a small amount of money with us for a few drinks and to play the pokies, the rest of our ready cash was left at home. When the money ran out, we left. Whilst I empathise with people who have addictions, they need to make big efforts to overcome those addictions. I really don't think that it is the Governments place to ban some places and not others, bending to pressure is not the answer, as shown by the debacle between the incumbent government and Mr. Wilkie.
NSB

NSB,

You make a good point about abundant opportunities to gamble in our society. However, these machines are designed to optimise temptation. It's just a matter of feeding coins into them...so easy to just keep doing it.
There is something inherently adverse to resistance in such a set-up. It's the reason they are placed in these places. The profit made from the inability of people to control their addiction is the bedrock on which the pokie industry rests. It's a deliberate exploitation of human weakness - for profit.

its sad the topics we do pick up on
nsw is planning to sell the snowey

why because they are so addicted to money
they went and spent on credit..

so even govt is going to fight this all the way

i think we are focused too much on the main issue
govt love of our money

heck labor came in in qld
and legalised prostitution and gambling
then gradually have sold the silver..heck even turned the treasury building into a gambling den

we hear much of speed revenue raising
yet last night..media watch says that is our delusion
go figure it had two govt reports that said speed camera's work

yes govt can say this
despite suicide rate being twice the road toll
[but heck you cant tax the booze and pills and guns..or cars]
that are assisting these suicides to die

heck
i feel we are being shafted
and still not seeing the forrest for all the revenue raising

twice as many die from suicide
than by the 'road toll'[pay the troll the toll]

let tax them...commiting suicide
put cameras on suiciders..on gamblers
use faciual recognition..with a big sign on it
smile your on candid camera

why are we paying casuals..[ie polititions]
a life time pension..or one or two terms

*ITS TIME*
charge them..for exceeding the guilt trip