Pokies claim $4m more

By SHAUN INGUANZO
KNOX pokies have reaped an extra $4 million over the past financial year.
The increase has Victoria’s peak gambling help body concerned that extra pokie revenue may be coming from people’s mortgages, school fees and food budgets.
Mayor Jenny Moore has described the gambling losses as ‘staggering’ and ‘terrible’ as she tried to contemplate its cause.
“This is in spite of the gaming sector operating under some of the strictest regulations of any industry.
“Since 2001, Knox Council and other community agencies have been working very hard to reduce the gambling expenditure in our community,” she said.
“The previous downward trend was pleasing but clearly, gambling has taken off again to alarming levels and we must, as a community, work to combat the problem.”
The figures released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation show that Knox gaming machines swallowed $83,720,316 over the 2004/05 financial year compared to $79,908,411 for the 2003/04 financial year.
This figure equates to every person in Knox losing $551 on gaming machines that year, or $736 per adult (over 18 years).
Council for Gamblers’ Help Services Victoria executive officer Eddie Chapman said the increase was evidence of a gambling problem in Knox and other regions.
“I think all regions are facing gambling problems,” he said.
“But I think areas in the outer suburbs are more vulnerable because other support services available (in the city) are not readily available, leading to an increase in vulnerability to problem gambling.”
Mr Chapman said that for every problem gambler there were between seven to 15 people affected.
He said the pokie revenue could consist of “people’s food budgets, mortgages, and school fees.”
Mr Chapman said the increase in pokie losses was attributed to gaming venues adapting to cope with bans on smoking which initially reduced the number of gamblers.
But he said gambling promoters had also begun targeting areas near lowincome households and establishments, including universities, by installing more machines and building venues nearby.
“We naturally oppose the kind of exploitation that is targeting community groups,” he said.
Mr Chapman said the State Government was now introducing caps on the number of machines permitted in certain municipalities.
Knox is currently uncapped and already hosts a total of 845 licensed pokie machines spread across 11 gaming venues with the Bayswater Hotel, Knox Club and Stamford Hotel all with more than 100 machines each.
Ferntree Gully Bowling Club has 34 machines, The Club Hotel on Ferntree Gully Road has 45 machines, and the Ferntree Gully Hotel on the Burwood Highway has 90 pokies.
Knox director of community services Gerard Jose said the council had no control over the number of gaming machines in the municipality but would advocate for fewer machines.
Mr Chapman said councils could fight applications for gaming venues or further machines, but that the process was difficult because it placed the onus on councils and the community to prove that the development may be harmful.• 2004/05 pokie expenditure in Knox: $83,720,316
• Knox population: 151,837
• Average pokie losses per person in Knox 2004/05: $551
• Average pokie losses per adult (over 18 yrs old) in Knox: $736
• Number of licensed gaming venues in Knox: 11
• Number of licensed electronic gaming machines: 845
• Pokies per 1000 people in Knox: 5.57
• Pokies per 1000 adults in Knox: 7.43
• Venue with most licensed gaming machines: Bayswater Hotel (105)