Today, good news in what has become a darkening cloud over the reform of poker machine gambling in recent days: The Pro-pokie-reform Stop the Loss coalition went live today. The release states in part,

“High loss poker machines are known to be addictive and Australia has the fastest, highest loss machines in the world… Hundreds of thousands of Australians are affected every year.They lose jobs, entire pension funds, homes, marriages, families and in too many tragic cases, their lives….”

More on website here:  http://www.stoptheloss.org.au/

I ask parishes to print out this: http://www.stoptheloss.org.au/factsheet.pdf and have it at the back of the church and individuals to make this new resource to stem this hemorrhaging of life blood from the vulnerable among us. Let’s care for the needy and protect the addicted. As Jesus said, Love God and love neighbour.

In other words we can be something of a distribution channel for this health initiative.

See also, blog post re Wilkie Friday Forum and Bishop John’s recent media release on Poker Machine reform here.