Politicians and voters both say they hate poker machines but reforms are moving slowly. Is there a better way? Ian McAuley explains in New Matlida how the distribution of GST revenue to the states could provide incentives to rein in gambling.

Were it not for the combination of cowardice from Labor politicians, and bloody-mindedness from Coalition politicians, we would now have implemented the Productivity Commission reforms of bet limits and mandatory pre-commitment. We wouldn’t be proposing yet another trial. The ACT trial is almost doomed to fail because Queanbeyan in NSW is a lot closer to Canberra than Ceduna in South Austrlalia is to Perth, and because Canberra’s demographics are not typical of the outer suburbs of other capitals where problem gamblers live.

Read the full article in New Matilda here.