Follow the money: Next step in Albanese's gambling reforms.NSW

This article in this week's "The Saturday Paper" by Mike Seccombe, titled as above, is very prescient and should be read in full. (Available online) He makes so many salient points. I'll just plug my own opinions on certain issues. Apart from the fact that we Australians have always had an affinity to gambling, extremes and excesses have also always resulted in financial difficulty and hardship.

When, in about 1956, the NSW state government(Labor) licensed slot machines (later known as gaming machines) into clubs, it was the start of a new industry. An industry that was going to develop into a disease. A disease that now preys on those who can least afford to gamble.

The problem, however, is that our governments have learned to prey on society, and not only the taxes that fill our treasury, but also the earnings that our political parties embrace in the form of so-called donations. These donations are nothing else, but corrupt funds accepted in return for policy decisions, that favor the industry, and all its participants.

A typical example right now, is described in Mr. Seccombe's article. "NSW is the belly of the beast when it comes to poker machine losses, not just in Australia but globally. It's Australia first, daylight second. We are the world cup winners when it comes to gambling losses". Then we have the proposed media rights to the NRL. Apparently, the seven -year agreement, to start from 2028, is worth $5.3 billion in total. The Nine Network will pay $145 million a year for broadcast rights, while Foxtel will pay about $520 million annually. Australian Rugby League commission chairman Peter V'landys said the fact that Foxtel is prepared to pay more than three- and- a- half times as much as Nine, is due to a shift in how people are watching sport. With increasing numbers choosing to view games on smartphones via Foxtel's Kayo streaming app. This, of course, opens up streaming to even more gambling ads than the current regime. Possibly and probably, our political masters will benefit even more. All of the foregoing clearly indicates-,it is time to replace all politicians with parliamentarians, selected and voted in by their local electorates. Parliamentarians sworn to function only in the interests of their electorates and the nation. Never vested interests, as is the norm at this time.

www.movementforbettergovernments.com.au