And better yet, just ban commercial betting all together.
Let people play poker with each other in their own homes, but damn, is anyone really arguing that pokies, spots betting and casinos are going to be missed?
We are the number 1 worst gamblers, in the world.
It's embarrassing.
4
blind3rdeye - 3w
but damn, is anyone really arguing that pokies, spots betting and casinos are going to be missed?
Many people do argue that - but it the root of their argument is usually "we need to keep getting the money that they give us". For example, some sports clubs receive money from gambling companies, and they are afraid of losing that funding - so they argue in favour of keeping the gambling. This of course includes political parties as well, since they enjoy significant 'donations' from gambling companies.
Obviously it would be less expensive and much much better for everyone if the same money somehow found its way to all these places without being funneled through the gambling industry first. But that's a difficult situation to untangle. ('Cheaper' because we would no longer be paying for the profits of the gambling companies, or their advertising spending. And 'better' because it would remove the negative effects of the gambling industry - of which there are many.)
So yeah, a ban would be good - but it requires a lot of consistent social pressure to make our lawmakers even seriously consider it.
Vanayo in australia
Australia's de facto online gambling regulator stops accepting gifts from betting companies, for now
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-06/nt-gambling-regulator-stops-accepting-hospitality-gifts/105977024De facto regulator is not a pleasing sentence.
You'd hope we'd have a proper regulator.
And better yet, just ban commercial betting all together.
Let people play poker with each other in their own homes, but damn, is anyone really arguing that pokies, spots betting and casinos are going to be missed?
We are the number 1 worst gamblers, in the world.
It's embarrassing.
Many people do argue that - but it the root of their argument is usually "we need to keep getting the money that they give us". For example, some sports clubs receive money from gambling companies, and they are afraid of losing that funding - so they argue in favour of keeping the gambling. This of course includes political parties as well, since they enjoy significant 'donations' from gambling companies.
Obviously it would be less expensive and much much better for everyone if the same money somehow found its way to all these places without being funneled through the gambling industry first. But that's a difficult situation to untangle. ('Cheaper' because we would no longer be paying for the profits of the gambling companies, or their advertising spending. And 'better' because it would remove the negative effects of the gambling industry - of which there are many.)
So yeah, a ban would be good - but it requires a lot of consistent social pressure to make our lawmakers even seriously consider it.