In Australia, slot machines are everywhere. So is gambling addiction.
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In Australia, slot machines are everywhere and gambling addiction is common. One by one, the men and women recounted lives ruined, relationships severed and bank accounts emptied.
In Australia, pokies are everywhere. They are in thousands of hotels and pubs, in big cities and small towns. The gambling industry says pukies should be legal and regulated. According to one study, the share of Australians with a gambling problem has doubled in the past decade. The industry donates millions to the major parties and pays billions in taxes to states and territories. Gambling opponents say pikies fuel suicides, domestic violence, insolvencies and financial crimes. When strict coronavirus lockdowns shut down pubs and casinos, many addicts and their relatives were relieved.
Peter Jankowski lost $100,000 in six years playing pokies in Melbourne. Emma was assaulted by an abusive partner and she lost her entire paycheck each week. Gary Van Duinen committed suicide after a 13-hour pkie binge. He gambled $2.7 million in two years and lost more than $165,00. He hanged himself in a lagoon in northern Sydney. Livingstone believes pukies are addictive. People who live near them are more likely to gamble. They are also more prone to financial hardship. For Emma, pikies were an escape after she was left in coma for three months.
