Explosive Report Links Slots to Jump in Crime

The Age
by Jason Dowling
July 22, 2010

There is a significant relationship between spending on poker machines and crime in Victoria (Australia), a study commissioned by the state government has concluded.

In potentially explosive findings, researchers say they have found ''strong and robust'' evidence of a link between spending on pokies and the incidence of ''income-generating'' crimes such as theft, robbery, fraud and handling stolen goods.

The findings, which have been quietly posted on the Department of Justice website, add weight to long-held assumptions about the incidence of problem gamblers turning to crime to feed their habits.

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