On 13 March 2023, the Sydney Morning Herald published a feature article examining the link between gambling addiction and criminal law. Our senior solicitor, Abbas Soukie, was interviewed for the article.

The relevant passages from the article read as follows:

The political fallout focused on organised crime. However, the courts have long witnessed an overlap between gambling addiction and criminal offending.

Public court files are littered with judges, psychologists and lawyers routinely debating about what is often called the “nexus” between addictions and actions.

Sydney solicitor Abbas Soukie said 80 per cent of his cases, particularly fraud and drug criminals, were under financial pressure because of gambling addiction.

“In my experience, the financial motive is generally underpinned or predicated by gambling or drug addiction, or both,” he said.

“It’s a great social evil,” Soukie said.

“Advertising gambling even to the very vulnerable is lawful, legal, indeed encouraged all through this city and country while drugs, equally a social evil, are outlawed.

“It makes no sense.”

For the full article, see: ‘I was trying to win’: The pokies binge that left two people and unborn twins dead, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 March 2023.