Picket at Skycity

Skycity casino will be the target of a picket to mark Gamble Free Day tomorrow.

The picket will use pokie machines and loan sharks in a street theatre performance that will reflect real life in the casino.

Problem Gambling Foundation Northern Regional Manager Claire Thompson says the casino is responsible for a great deal of damage to families and refuses to take responsibility for its actions.

"The casinos host responsibility programme is a joke," she says.

"Under the Gambling Act they are supposed to prevent and minimise gambling harm but they will do almost anything to keep customers playing as long as they have money.

"They know there are a lot of things they could do to make the gambling environment safer but it would eat into their profits."

Ms Thompson says that Gamble Free Day is an opportunity for everybody to reflect on the unnecessary damage done to families by gambling everyday.

"It is disgraceful that we allow so much harm to be done when it would be so easy to prevent most of it.

"All it would take is the will to force gambling operators to start behaving responsibility.

"The Gambling Act is being reviewed at the moment. The Government is saying they only want to make a few technical amendments. We want a lot more.

"They say the time is not right. We say the time to protect the poor and to clamp down on gambling related crime is now.

The picket will be at Skycity casino at 10-30, Saturday August 1.