Ten years on:

The Productivity Commission undertook a major inquiry into the gambling industry in 1999, to which PIAC made a short submission. Ten years on, the Productivity Commission established an inquiry with similar terms of reference, adding harm-minimisation to the scope of its 2009 inquiry. In this submission PIAC responds in detail to the Productivity Commission inquiry from a consumer perspective, particularly consumers and their families where gambling is a problem. The submission reviews evidence of harm-minimisation research undertaken in the last decade, examines the population groups most a risk, and explores case law and responsibilities of the venue to protect consumers from harm.The submission uses the legislative framework, including taxation arrangements in NSW as an example, however, most recommendations could be applied nationally. The submission supports a review of how prevention and treatment services for problem gamblers are funded, separating responsibility between policy making and regulatory and enforcement functions. The submission also recommends changes to regulations to allow a separate cause of action for individual problem gamblers affected by a failure by a gambling venue to comply with its statutory obligations.