Canberra Liberals spokesman for gaming and racing Mark Parton has revealed he once battled a serious gambling addiction.
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The Liberal parliamentarian opened up about his experience in light of the news the ACT government plans to ban cash-out via eftpos in clubs.
He said people with a gambling problem would go to any lengths to access their money. Curbing eftpos cash out only takes away the human interaction element, which could lead to intervention.
"My experience when I was in that space was that there would have to be a hell of a lot of road blocks placed in front of me to stop me accessing the money to continue what I was doing," he said.
He said the policy was "half-baked", and timed himself walking from 10 club entrances to external ATMs to prove it.
He recalled the day he realised he had a gambling problem vividly.
"It was a sunny autumn day in 1987. I'm 21 and I had two weeks leave," he said.
He had been calling races since the age of 10, but in those days, he said, nobody blinked if a child took a punt on the horses.
"I drove from Adelaide to Gawler for the thoroughbred races ready to have a punt. I'd been having a bad run at the races but was determined to turn things around.
"When I arrived at Gawler I had my entire remaining holiday pay with me, a sum of around $600. My punting didn't go to plan."
He lost the first three bets he put on, but continued to increase the stakes "blindly throwing money" hoping to recoup his losses.
"I clearly remember striding into the betting ring prior to the fourth race and putting my last $125 on a horse called Cats at four-to-one. If it won, I'd be back square."
The race ended in a photo finish, and the win was awarded to another horse.
"All of a sudden I was broke. My head went into a spin. This wasn't fair! I needed another chance to win my money back, but I didn't have any more to gamble with."
He said what happened next frightened the life out of him.
He immediately jumped in the car, a beaten up green Gemini sedan, and sped the whole 50km trip into Adelaide, "driving like a mad man" because he had to get the money back.
He went to the bank and took out a cash loan for $1000 and went to the casino.
"I went straight to the roulette tables. I put $1000 down on the table and asked for two $500 cash chips. I played the long columns, the one in the middle and the one on the right for $500 each."
He said this meant he was twice as likely to win as he was to lose, but would only win half his stake.
That gamble paid off and he ended up just $100 down for the day.
"I got my chips from the table and walked away. I cashed them straight in aiming to head over to the bank. I stopped in the toilet on the way and vomited violently. I looked at myself in the mirror and said 'Parton ... what the hell are you doing'."
It's this experience that Mr Parton draws on when weighing in to the gambling debate.
"When you're in that space, if you want to access your own money, you'll do it," he said.
"The only way you'll stop individual problem gamblers is to get them to a point where they acknowledge they have a problem and they rebel against it, they do something about it."
"I get it. Although I wasn't sucked far into the whirlpool, I got a glimpse of it. I understand the rush."
That experience was one he'll never forget, but it was also the wake-up call he needed.
Mr Parton quit gambling for a year. Now, he does it only for recreation.
"I enjoy a punt. I love playing the pokies but I'll go in, put $20 in and leave.
"Mathematically, you can not win. It's pure chance, with 10 per cent always going to the house. It is not possible to win. The longer you play, the more you will lose."
If this story has raised concerns for you or someone you know, phone the ACT Gambling Counselling and Support Service on 1800 858 858 or visit Gambling Help Online.
