Pokies. Sad, solitary stupidity…
Yes. I admit it. I DO visit the North Terrace gambling den.
But infrequently these days, and to enjoy the company of other blackjackers. It’s something of a social hobby, with a lot of interaction from both sides of the table.
Do I lose? Sometimes. But not a lot. I have a strict expenditure limit, and an ATM card that only allows me a small withdrawal. And many a week I end up well on the right side of the ledger.
Why all the above?
Today’s unstartling “Advertiser” story of a pokie expenditure plunge that last financial year saw the coin-guzzlers deliver $9million less in taxes to the State Government’s coffers than the expected $296million.
It all depends, of course, on how you interpret the figures, but for Sky-City the bad news is that while pokie spending will level out over the next four years, the Government predicts that the Casino piggy bank will have to shell out a mind-boggling $49million in 2019, up from $19million this year. Which is, of course the GOOD news for tax-payers.
All that from the hapless hopefuls who sit transfixed in solitary, anti-social splendour gazing at a never-ending row of symbols and numbers delivered by a machine which is electrically programmed to never lose in the long run…
I agree with anti-pokie campaigner and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon that the pokie monster is still ruining people’s lives.
He’s lucky that his father only haunts the blackjack tables…
