TV gambler hits back
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Two Way Interactive has hit out at politician Bruce Billson’s bid to curb gambling on subscription TV, saying that the amount of money being wagered is minimal compared to online gambling.
Chief executive Ben Reichel said, “There’s been $50,000 or $60,000 bet on a Saturday, which is the biggest day, but Tabcorp takes in $15 million every Saturday on their internet site, so as a percentage of what they’re doing it’s absolutely tiny.
“We’ve worked our guts out for years to develop it and bring it to market … and it’s quite concerning having a major political party trying to kill us basically, which is what they’re doing,” he told The Age.
Mr Billson has said the proposed amendment, supported by anti-gaming campaigners the Victorian Interfaith Gambling Taskforce and Reverend Tim Costello, seeks to “test the moral decency of the Rudd Labor Government”.
Reichel defends that Two Way’s pay TV service gave more protection for problem gamblers than either the telephone or internet did because it featured responsible gambling messages every time users logged in to their account and twice for every bet they made.
Source: The Age