新南威尔士州星港城（The Star）赌场被指专门制定计划“勾引”低收入者及移民参与赌博。根据该赌场研究显示，不少低收入者和移民都相信，玩老虎机可以改善他们的经济状况，而星港城则利用这一点，公然在悉尼市最大的注册俱乐部门口“抢客”。
《星期日先锋报》（The Sun-Herald）日前透露的一份长达24页的星港城规划蓝图，内容主要以增加其1500台老虎机盈利为目标，而盈利对象则专门针对大型俱乐部云集的班克斯镇（Bankstown）及利物浦（Liverpool）两区，当地聚集了悉尼最“有瘾”的赌徒。
据称，在这份名为《电子游艺机2011规划》（Electronic Gaming Machines Planning for 2011）的报告中，星港城根据赌徒的收入及秉性、背景，对其进行“分类”。赌场的目标人群锁定了“双语”、“新移民”及“文化折衷派”等。
谈及悉尼西南地区发展机会时，报告似乎承认赌场瞄准的某些目标人群并没有办法承担输钱的后果，而且他们可能并不真正了解玩老虎机的后果。
报告称：“虽然收入不高，但他们（这些赌徒）希望能改善生活，所以其参与赌博几率很高，因为赌博为其提供了改善经济状况的机会。”
反赌博宣传人士提姆·科斯特洛（Tim Costello）则抨击赌场的做法“不道德且是一种掠夺”。
他说：“想象一下，如果在酒业有类似的研究，专门针对重度酒瘾者，那这样的行为恐怕早就引发人们暴怒了。如此，赌场‘好市民’虚伪外衣下的丑恶本质昭然若揭。他们系统地锁定了澳洲社会中最贫穷的人群。”
据报告称，星港城老虎机每月盈利高达2150万元，为了增加目标地区的“客户”数量，赌场将人口普查数据与私人研究数据相结合，以锁定其“未来赌客”。
这份报告亦激化了悉尼各大俱乐部与星港城之间的紧张关系。
拥有745台老虎机的班克斯镇体育俱乐部（Bankstown Sports Club）就对星港城的免费穿梭巴士“星港特快”（Star Express）表示不满，因为穿梭巴士的上客处距离该俱乐部大门不过几米远而已。
根据星港城的政策，赌徒搭乘穿梭巴士时要付10元澳币，但等他们进了新港城赌场之后，则可得到10元赌金抵用券，这就是一个“诱饵”。
据《星期日先锋报》称，此前悉尼西南区就有一名女子前去星港城领取一口所谓“免费赠送”的炒锅，她当时领了锅就走了，然而两天之后却在该赌场一台老虎机上输掉了3万元之多。此事发生之后，新州政府即考虑是否应该禁止赌场对民众施以“利诱”。
班克斯镇体育俱乐部经理助理马克·康蒂（Mark Condi）说：“我们知道（星港城）赌场锁定了我们这一区，特别是他们安排在我们正门口几米开外的那些班车（我们也很清楚），但我们没料到事件背后的原因竟然这么过分。”
康蒂表示：“我们在这里经营，毫无疑问心系社区，我们创造的（利润）也将回馈到社区的建设中去。然而同样毫无疑问的是，（那家）赌场创造利润则只是为了回馈股东。”
星港城赌场方面昨日则与此份报告划清了距离，有发言人称该报告是由一家独立市场研究公司撰写，故而“并不代表星港城观点”。发言人表示，星港城是高端娱乐场所，并无兴趣针对低收入人群，引诱其以“入不敷出式的”赌博改变命运。
译文
THE STAR casino has drawn up plans to lure away low-income and migrant gamblers whom its research acknowledges often believe playing poker machines will improve their financial status from Sydney’s biggest registered clubs.
The Sun-Herald has obtained a copy of the casino’s 24-page blueprint to boost revenues from its 1500 pokies by targeting the city’s most compulsive gamblers in the catchment areas of big clubs around Bankstown and Liverpool.
People queue to catch the free shuttle bus from in front of Bankstown Sports Club to The Star yesterday. Photo: Adam HollingworthThe report Electronic Gaming Machines Planning for 2011 breaks down groups of punters into ”types” based on income and heritage. Target groups include ”bilingual backgrounds” ”new wave” and ”eclectic origins”.
Under the heading of opportunity in south-western Sydney the report appears to concede some of the gamblers it is trying to get through the door cannot afford to lose and may not fully appreciate the consequences of playing pokies.
”While incomes are low they aspire to live beyond their means. Gambling incidence is high as it offers the possibility of financing their aspirations ” the report states.
Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello blasted the casino’s tactic as ”immoral and predatory”.
”Imagine parallel research by the liquor industry to target alcoholics; there would be outrage. This blows the lid on any claim to good citizenship by the casino. It is systematic in the way it is targeting the poorest people in our society ” he said.
The casino which the report says takes $21.5 million a month in pokie revenue aims to increase visits from target areas using a mixture of census data and private research to pinpoint prospective gamblers.
The existence of the report will heighten tensions between the major clubs and the casino.
Bankstown Sports which has 745 poker machines has complained about the casino’s shuttle bus the Star Express which picks up metres away from the club’s front door.
Punters pay $10 to be transferred to the casino but are given a $10 gambling voucher as an inducement.
Last week The Sun-Herald revealed the NSW government was considering whether inducements should be allowed after a woman from the same target area in Sydney’s south-west walked into the casino to pick up a free wok and left two days later having lost $30 000 to one poker machine.
Mark Condi assistant secretary-manager at Bankstown Sports said: ”We’ve known the casino has targeted our area particularly with buses leaving from metres away from the front door but we didn’t know the extent of this push.
”There’s no doubt we’re here for the community and whatever we create [in profit] goes back into building the community ” Mr Condi said. ”There is also no doubt the casino exists to make profits for its shareholders.”
The casino distanced itself from the report yesterday saying it was prepared by an independent market research company. ”It does not represent the opinion of The Star ” a spokesman said.
”We are a high-end entertainment destination and have no interest at all in targeting low-income groups to gamble beyond their means ” the Star spokesman said.