The Lottery Agents Association of Victoria said the State Government was unlikely to approve Intralot’s opportunistic application.
Association CEO Peter Judkins CEO said Mr Fletcher’s petition meant well but even if the unlikely approval was made, changes would not come before mid next year.
This is from a story in the Geelong Advertiser on February 13. Judkins has no idea if the government is likely to approve the bid by Intralot to sell scratch tickets in supermarkets. He is wrong to take pressure off the government as he has through this story. Further on the article…
But the CEO said the association would join Mr Fletcher’s fight, should the approval begin to grow legs.
I’ve not heard from Judkins so I am not sure how he plans to support the petition.
The time for Victorian lottery agents is to act now. We ought to be on the steps of parliament mocking the big fat and rich Coles and Safeway organisations and the risk to communities, responsible gambling and family owned small businesses if they will scratch tickets. Unfortunately, Judkins and his association would have us sit on our hands. I’d rather be a dill and find that Intralot loses than be Judkins and find that Intralot has won because by then it would be too late.
Here’s the Geelong Advertiser article:
On this same topic of lotteries in Victoria and Itralot, Kenneth Davidson of The Age has written an interesting opinion piece which looks at the Upper House Inquiry into the regulation of gambling in Victoria.
Mr Judkins should ensure that Intralot has no chance of getting a scratchies contract before he stops fighting tooth and nail for his members. If the supermarkets get the ability to sell scratchies, he will end up out of a job as his membership will be decimated.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Davidson’s article and the Victorian government’s penchance for secret deals with the police union show that the interests of the public will be the last thing on the minds of the decision-makers. Thus, we will be left with bad societal outcomes when food money is used to gamble at the supermarket.
I wish I had your passion & skills Mark..Good stuff, Proactive rather than reactive is todays climate.
I think you timing is just right. You have to fight this before approval. Let them know there is a ground swell of opposition to it. Once it is approved it is too late, not impossible to change, but much harder.
I would like to see the people that deal with gambling get on this bandwagon and really stomp on gambling with groceries. There has to be a place where addicts, and there are plenty the statistics show it, can go to buy basic food without temptation.