POKIE barons should be stripped of poker machines under a "lottery" system, allowing the Government to fulfill its promise to remove 3000 machines.
Welfare agency Uniting Care Wesley's radical proposal has the support of no-pokies MP Nick Xenophon and the Anglican Church's charity arm.
They agree urgent action is needed to remove the 750 machines which remain in use because of a flaw in the Government's legislation, introduced in 2005.
It is estimated these machines have cost punters $177 million in losses while generating $70 million in state taxes in that time.
Uniting Care Wesley spokesman Mark Henley said the Government should mark the fifth anniversary of its broken promise by taking immediate action and removing one poker machine from each gambling venue.
"The recent Productivity Commission draft report identified that accessibility to poker machines can contribute to problem gambling," Mr Henley said.
"First it's one machine per venue then you put venues with 20 or more machines into a lottery, and when their number comes up they lose another machine until all outstanding machines are removed."
Mr Henley said such a plan could be adopted immediately to "finally fulfill the Government's promise of five years ago".
While the legislation immediately removed 2200 machines, the remaining 800 were to go by allowing a trade in pokies for the first time, with the law requiring one in every four machines traded to be retired.
But with a price cap of $50,000, few machines have been traded and only 50 have been retired.
In October 2007, the Independent Gambling Authority recommended the $50,000 cap be abolished to free-up trade and allow the target retirements to be met, and the Government agreed.
But Government inaction has prompted welfare agency Anglicare to throw its support behind the lottery proposal.
"I don't know why the Government hasn't adopted the IGA's recommendation, but it's important to highlight the Government has benefited from the tax generated (from these machines) by failing to meet its target," Anglicare executive director Simon Schrapel said.
"Mr Henley's proposal certainly has merit, but the Government must act quickly because the money lost to these remaining machines represents harm to people, especially those with gambling problems," he said.
Senator Xenophon said the Government "should have the guts to take on the state's pokie barons and fix the problem".
State Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis declined to comment on Mr Henley's proposal, but said the Government remained "committed to reaching our target of 3000 fewer gaming machines".
Issued by Adelaide Now 17th January 2010
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26595771-5006301,00.html
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