Dodgy Casinos

I am constantly amazed at the power of casinos, look at the latest bullshit ‘penalty’ handed out to the Dunedin Casino who looked the other way as a problem gambler spent millions on pokies (the worst and most common kind of gambling addiction). We all understand that gambling has to be legalized in the same way you have to keep ciggies and booze legal, because making them illegal would simply drive those people underground and fuel the spending power of organized crime, (oh and the whole personal freedom thing as well). But Casinos have to take responsibility for those gamblers who obviously have a problem and staff who are trained to spot the tell tale signs (pokies being an obvious one) and one really has to wonder at the incentives like limos and gifts sent to the woman as enticements to gamble and how responsible that is. Seeing as this woman made up 10% of the Casino’s take over the three year period she gambled, it’s obvious to see why they didn’t question her but making money out of addicts is something we try and restrict to the Alcohol and Tobacco industries.

The full penalty is 6 months, Dunedin Casino got two days, it boggles the mind to think what they needed to have done to get just half that penalty, would the woman have had to have sold both her kidneys, transplanted in the Casino bathroom before they would see a 3 month ban?

I don’t mind people having a flutter and a gamble, but punters who are obviously addicted and who are enticed to spend more by the Casino is not on, and let’s be honest – it isn’t like the Casino’s are so hard up for cash that they need to cock tease gambling addicts is it?

Casino punishment 'slap with wet bus ticket'
The Gambling Commission's decision to suspend Dunedin Casino's licence for two days for failing to take adequate action over a problem gambler is "a slap with a wet bus ticket", say gambling campaigners.

GamblingWatch and the Problem Gambling Foundation said yesterday that the punishment was inadequate.