Numbers are “horrifying,” says newspaper
When it comes to gambling losses in gambling-crazy Australia, the biggest-losers may be Greater Dandenong in Victoria, according to the Herald Sun newspaper. Punters in the community lose at a rate of $998 per adult, almost twice the metropolitan average. That came to total losses of $117 million for the most recent financial year.
“By May this year,” the newspaper reported, “they had already fed $99.7 million into poker machines across the city, equating to a staggering $327,000 every day and representing a 2 percent hike on the same time last year.” It went on to say that Greater Dandenong punters have lost a “horrifying” $2.8 billion to gambling since it was introduced in 1993.
South Eastern Metropolitan Greens MP Nina Springle said the government may be powerless to stop the hemorrhaging, despite the Your Play program, which was introduced in December to help punters track their gambling and gamble more responsibly. Of 23,400 cards activated across the state, fewer than 8,200 were registered.
“Pokie losses continue to grow bigger and bigger. Voluntary pre-commitment has had absolutely no effect, as predicted,” she said. “Pokie machines are designed by experts to be highly addictive, so it’s hardly a wonder that voluntary betting limits are having zero effect.”
She said only mandatory pre-commitment will ensure that “people entranced by pokie machines, that are designed to be addictive, will stop when they reach their desired limit.”
Gaming and Liquor Regulation Minister Jane Garrett said a pre-commitment program is now under review by the Victorian government. “We are pleased with the early numbers announced and we will continue to monitor the impact of this … pre-commitment tool,” she said.
“Council’s electronic gaming policy supports the introduction of a compulsory pre-commitment mechanism that would require a pre-commitment device to gamble on any EGM, setting binding limits on losses,” added Community Services Director Mark Doubleday.
