Outrage as casino plays ethnic card

Fairfield Champion, 11 Sept 2002

THE Vietnamese community has condemned a campaign by a Canberra casino directed at Cabramatta gamblers.

The president of the Vietnamese Community in Australia (NSW), Dr Tien Nguyen, called on ethnic communities to lobby the state government to ban casino advertising.

Last week, the Champion reported that Casino Canberra had been advertising in the local Vietnamese press offering weekend packages including bus travel, accommodation and food - all for $60.

The only condition was that punters must "buy-in" to the casino for $1000. Wrest Point and Country Club casinos in Tasmania have also been advertising packages.

This comes as the state government pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for counselling for problem gamblers.

"The campaign of the Casino Canberra...just proves the greed and callousness of the gambling industry," Dr Nguyen said.

"People of lower socio-economic status always have the hope and the dream of getting money quickly.

"They are easily taken in. This is very callous and irresponsible.

"The consequences can be very tragic. Family disharmony and the loss of money may even drive them to criminal activities.

"We are thinking of writing to the casino and will be lobbying the state and federal governments to produce legislation to ban media advertisement by the gambling industry, the same way they ban cigarette advertising."

Fairfield's only Vietnamese-speaking councillor, Thang Ngo, has referred the matter to consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The ACT Council of Social Service has described Casino Canberra's latest drive to attract new patrons as "disturbing".

The director, Daniel Stubbs, said: "It's just nothing short of a disgrace and a new low for the gambling industry."