Media Release 

Saturday, 21 June 2003

CR NGO BID TO PERMANENTLY REBUFF CASINO CANBERRA

Fairfield Councillor Thang Ngo has used an upcoming review into the Casino Control Act to recommend the Act be amended to stop the Casino from targeting Fairfield residents.

In July last year, Casino Canberra came under fire from Cr Ngo and the local community for targeting Vietnamese punters in Cabramatta with a weekend offer of a noodle lunch, bus trip to Canberra, one night accommodation, casino membership, Asian lunch on Sunday, tour of Canberra and return bus trip to Cabramatta for just $60 per person.

Casino Canberra was hit with negative publicity which started exclusively with the Fairfield Champion after which the issue became national through The Australian newspaper, ABC Radio’s PM program and then internationally via the UK’s Independent Newspaper.

The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) became involved and Casino Canberra dropped this marketing strategy. 

Cr Ngo has been invited to make a submission by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, who organisation charged with conducting the Review. 

Cr Ngo said he wanted to use this Review to seek legislative changes which will prohibit Casino Canberra from conducting these “blatantly immoral” campaigns. 

In a 26-page submission, he details the already alarmingly high expenditure by locals on gambling. 

“Fairfield already spends over a quarter of a billion dollars a year just on pokies, Star City runs daily bus services to the Casino, and The Oasis, one of the largest and most controversial gambling venues in NSW is proposed at our doorstep - we don’t need Casino Canberra to contribute to problem gambling in our community” said Cr Ngo. 

“We must all work together to stop the scourge of gambling addiction.  I will fight Casino Canberra and all irresponsible gambling dens and pokies palaces from preying on our community,” he concluded. 

Cr Ngo made six recommendations in his submission:

1. Prohibit Casino Canberra from all forms of advertising to promote gambling, especially with offers as incentives.
2. Prohibit Casino Canberra from any marketing initiatives whether advertising, promotions, direct mail or other forms of marketing which targets socially disadvantaged groups, such as those from a non-English speaking background or those from a socially or economically disadvantage background.
3. Prohibit Casino Canberra from operating a shuttle service or subsidising a third party from offering a shuttle service to transport punters from outside Canberra.
4. Require Casino Canberra to send letters, in language if necessary to all members who have gambled excessively higher than an average amount (to be determined by the Commission) to warn them against problem gambling and offer counselling services.
5. Require Casino Canberra to contribute to problem counselling services in areas outside Canberra if a significant percentage (to be determined by the Commission) of the Casino’s gambling income comes from that area.  For example, if 20% of the Casino’s income comes from Fairfield, then 20% of its community support expenditure should be invested in problem gambling services in Fairfield.
6. Require Casino Canberra to set up a community reference group which advises and makes recommendations to the Casino especially in terms of its marketing campaigns which minimises impact on problem gamblers.  Representatives should come from academic experts, problem counsellors and ethnic community groups.

A summary of the submission can be found on www.thangngo.com.