Scott Eagar
The Sydney Morning Herald
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It’s not for the jackpot. It’s for what we call “the feature,” the symbol that awards you free games. The high of getting the feature impelled me to play for hours, losing hundreds of dollars to win maybe $20. “Ask any pokie player, and they’ve lived out that scenario over and over again.” That’s why the government’s proposals—limiting the bets to $1, or slowing down the spins, or reducing the jackpots—won’t work.
“The feature is to a poker machine what caffeine is to coffee. But instead of removing the caffeine, the politicians are debating how much milk to add, or whether the coffee should be served in a mug or a cup.” Do you really want to help us addicts? Then remove “what makes pokies addictive in the first place.”
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