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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Gambling Regulation

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:05): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General and the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs about regulation of gambling in the state.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Yesterday, the Auditor-General's report on gambling harm minimisation was tabled. It tells a sick and sorry story about the real harm gambling is causing in our community and deficiencies in the oversight of gaming and gaming machines. Worse, it shows that the government and its so-called regulator, the Office of Consumer and Business Services, are not doing their job effectively with regulatory compliance, including training for compliance inspectors, limited collection of risk assessment data, and a host of other issues identified by Mr Richardson.

It also highlights how much South Australians lost last year—a record $1.5 billion, which equates to $1,052 for every adult, with 60 per cent of those losses linked to gaming machines in hotels and clubs. The government scooped the pool with $531 million in tax revenue, and that is expected to increase to $582 million this financial year. Of that, a paltry 1 per cent, or $5.38 million, was directed to the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund, topped up to $8.65 million after industry contributions. However, a tiny $6 million was spent to fund gambling help services to tackle high-risk problem gamblers. My question is:

1. What is the minister doing to ensure her department is carrying out its duties to ensure full compliance in the management of gambling harm minimisation?

2. Why hasn't the government committed more to the rehabilitation fund?

3. Can the government provide complete full details on how and where that money in the fund is being spent, that is, a comprehensive breakdown of where the funds are being distributed and spent?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest and advocacy in this area, that has been very longstanding, as it has been for SA-Best and its predecessor parties. I note the report that was distributed yesterday. Like, I think, a number of others, I flipped through the first few pages of recommendations as it was distributed, but I haven't had a chance to further look at the report, given not many of us have had a lot of time since we sat here about this time yesterday to do much else.

The Hon. F. Pangallo: You could have done it while I was speaking.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It may well have been the case that there may have been what seemed like a number of decades when people could have done other things while the Hon. Frank Pangallo was speaking, as was interjected, but we were all riveted to the top nine plays in different areas and their synopses, as we were regaled with yesterday.

In relation to the important questions the honourable member has asked, I will, as he suggested, refer them to the minister in another place, the Hon. Andrea Michaels, the member for Enfield. Again, to the extent that information can be collated and provided, I will bring back a reply for the honourable member.

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