Australian poker machines are the world's hungriest

AUSTRALIA'S pokies are able to swallow up the average weekly wage in less than an hour - a situation gambling experts have branded as "evil".

The warning comes as the Federal Government launches an investigation aimed at attacking problem gambling and the Victorian Government moves to ban automatic teller machines from poker machine venues.

Monash University researcher Dr Charles Livingstone has warned some popular gaming machines can consume $1200 or more inside an hour.

"When you can press the button once every 2.14 seconds, basically it's remarkably easy to lose hundreds or thousands of dollars an hour on a poker machine," he said.

"I'm not suggesting that everyone who plays the pokies does lose $1200 an hour, but it is certainly easy to do."

Anti-pokies campaigner Tim Costello described such loss rates as unacceptably high, preying on vulnerable gamblers.

"That's just evil," he said. "I wouldn't be raising my voice if you had payouts where you could lose a maximum of $100 an hour or $150 maybe. People would still be able to play. The industry would still be getting revenue, but at a lower cost to the consumer."

However a statement last night from the Australian Gaming Machine Manufacturers Association described claims Australia had the fastest pokies in the world as "outrageous and baseless".

The association said Australian poker machines were slower than overseas versions, where the spin rate could be fast-forwarded to tenths of a second or less.

The Federal Government investigation of problem gambling - to be conducted by Family and Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin - will look at reducing poker machine spin rates and introducing smart card technology to impose pre-set spending limits on players.

Ms Macklin said the government would also consider banning ATMs in gaming venues - a move the Victorian Government yesterday agreed to adopt from the end of 2012.

Dr Livingstone also urged the government to slash maximum bets and payouts to further minimise potential losses.

He said he did not see any reason to lower the maximum bet any further.

News Added: 15 March, 2008

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