STRATEGIC PARTNERS
March 21, 2002
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The Rev. Tim Costello, president of the Baptist Union, has threatened to resign from the government's gambling advisory committee, which he says is stacked with pro-gambling lobbyists, after the government declined to limit the use of ATMs in casinos.
According to a report in the Canberra Times, Costello hopes he can convince the committee to rethink its decision.
"I want to inject some urgency into this committee - we need better resources, we need a clear timetable for reforms," Costello said. "I am not threatening to resign until they take out every single ATM, but they must make a move."
The Productivity Commission recommended in 1999 that some restrictions be placed on the use of ATMs in casinos, but the committee has commissioned further research.
Costello has expressed frustration with the makeup of the committee, in which six of the 11 members have past or present links to the gaming industry and three represent community groups.
Sen. Bob Brown supported Costello's call for action yesterday, saying while the government had moved toward regulating Internet gambling, it had not done enough on poker machines.
"The conjunction of ATMs with poker machines is incredible," Brown said. "It is a direct line to the bottom of every gambler's pocket."
