AS the federal government nuts out the finer points of its pokies reform bill, Hogan's Wellington Point Hotel has been recognised for promoting responsible gambling.
Relationships Australia's Gambling Help Service awarded the hotel a certificate of merit after publican Scott Hogan spoke at a meeting in the Redlands to mark Responsible Gambling Week, which ran from May 22 to 28.
Mr Hogan spoke about the role a hotel could play in encouraging responsible gambling.
"The biggest issue for publicans is how to identify these problem gamblers and help our staff to identify them too," Mr Hogan said.
"Many of my staff are young university students who are not trained in identifying people with gambling addictions.
"We're trying to soften the whole process of excluding problem gamblers that the government is using.
"Gamblers need to feel that publicans are more approachable and gamblers need to identify themselves.
"It is not up to publicans to punish people who play the pokies.
"It was nice to hear that even with the current political wrangling surrounding the poker machine debate there was some consensus among the group I spoke to when it came to sensible, practical approaches to limit any potential harm," Mr Hogan said.
Relationships Australia's Gambling Help Service's Amanda Pain, who organised the Redland forum, said Redland pubs and clubs made about $4.51 million before tax from the city's 1258 electronic gaming machines in April.
She said about $8 million was lost on "all types of gambling" in the Redlands in the month.
"These shocking figures are pretty much the average amount spent each month on gambling in our community," Ms Pain said.
"With so much money being spent on gambling, it is no wonder our local economy struggles to keep shops open, that emergency food parcels are in high demand and people are struggling to keep their homes.
"It is estimated that about 18 per cent of homelessness is due to gambling," Ms Pain said.
Last week, gaming ministers met in Canberra to discuss the planned pokies reforms proposed by Tasmanian independent senator Andrew Wilkie.
Under Mr Wilkie's scheme, patrons would have to nominate their maximum losses before they started playing the pokies, a concept known as mandatory pre-commitment.
Smaller clubs, with 15 or fewer machines, would be exempt from the laws until 2018 to allow for an easier transition.
"People routinely lose $1200 an hour gambling on pokies in Australia because they're high-intensity machines with high bet limits, fast games, big jackpots and substantial cash load up capacity," Mr Wilkie said.
"Like seatbelts reduced the road toll, mandatory pre-commitment will save lives and diminish the human tragedy caused by poker machines,'' he said.
The legislation is not due until early 2012 before coming into effect by 2014.
Recommendations and findings from the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform's first report, tabled in May, are at www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/g amblingreform_ctte/precommitment_ scheme/index.htm
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