THE nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

Money will buy a fine dog but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

This is basically where the debate lies when it comes to gambling and the revenue or taxation it delivers.

So, where would we be without it?

This is the issue the Federal Government is struggling to assess at the present time, and, like most other issues it faces, it’s all about money.

Whilst State Governments are locked into receiving considerable income from stamp duty and taxes on grog and gambling (plus a share of the GST), the federal government is now looking at possible options for gambling reform.

Australia has only half of one percent of the world’s population yet 20 percent of the world’s poker machines.

It is calculated that we lose A$25 billion each year from punters having a flutter, which makes us the highest per capita losers in the world.

No other nation comes anywhere near those losses.

Research says that seventeen percent of Australians are regular gamblers – you may buy a lottery ticket, put a few dollars into the pokies from time to time, have an online flutter on the football, or lash out on ANZAC Day or go to the races.

But the real issue for our society is when a gambling problem gets out-of-control.

According to a 2022 study by the Gambling Research Centre, 71 percent of Australian men aged 18-31 are classified as being at risk of gambling harm.

By John BLACKBOURN