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SYDNEY, April 29 (Xinhuanet) - Australians gambled away 13.3 billion dollars
(6.78 billion US) in the last financial year, losses equivalent to around 931
dollars (475 US) per person, official figures showed Sunday.
Gambling turnover surged 10 percent to 113 billion in 1999/2000, and
Australian gamblers threw away 3.5 percent of their disposable income on the
habit.
The figures, released by the Tasmanian State Gaming Commission on Sunday,
highlight the nation's increasing fiscal dependence on the industry according
to the report, with state and territory tax revenue rising 300 million to 4.4
billion dollars (2.24 billion US).
Poker machines were the main source of revenue, with New South Wales
supplying nearly half of the national 74 billion dollars turned over on the
machines.
Anti-gambling campaigners labelled the industry "out of control".
"There is no question that there is an unprecedented experiment on people
with addictive products that doesn't happen anywhere else in the world,"
leading campaigner Reverend Tim Costello said.
Federal Family and Community Services Minister Amanda Vanstone said the
states had failed to act because they were getting a "truckload of revenue"
from gambling.
"They are enjoying the revenue, it's their legislation and their
responsibility," she said.
A December 1999 parliamentary report revealed 290,000 Australians were
problem gamblers. Enditem
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