Fed: Hotels Association calls on banks to help curb credit binge

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2000
Fed: Hotels Association calls on banks to help curb credit binge

Hoteliers have renewed their call for banks to help curb the credit binge amongst Australia's
problem gamblers.

Last month, the Australian Hotels Association asked the financial sector to help control
the number of problem gamblers across the country by designing a four-month timetable
to develop national gambling guidelines, including ways to tackle problem gamblers.

Yesterday, AHA national executive director RICHARD MULCAHY said the ease with which
problem gamblers can access credit is a serious problem.

Mr MULCAHY says recent research has found problem gamblers generally have high debts
and own six or more credit cards.

He says a taskforce combining hoteliers, government and bankers should be established
to consider changes to the Code of Banking Practice to limit lending to problem gamblers.

Problem gamblers gamble about $12,000 each, or $4 billion in total, annually across Australia.

AAP RTV eg/et/wz/jtb

KEYWORD: GAMBLING AHA (CANBERRA)

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