Gamblers’ pokies pain gets worse

MONEY slotted into poker machines in Cardinia has risen 6.22 per cent over the last financial year, above the 3.7 per cent statewide increase.
Gamblers splurged $18.578 million on poker machines in the municipality in 2008/09, up from $17.49 million the previous year.
About half was spent at the Cardinia Club, with gamblers putting $9.263 million into poker machines at the venue in 2008/09.
This was followed by the Pakenham Inn ($4.839 million), Castello’s Pakenham ($2.793 million) and the Pakenham Sports Club ($1.681 million).
Spending on poker machines in Victorian hotels and clubs rose 1.7 per cent to $649 per adult in the last financial year.
According to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) spending was actually down almost 21 per cent since 2000 when growth in population and inflation were taken into account.
In the last financial year machines took 3.7 per cent more than the previous year, a total of $2.7 billion.
The VCGR also, for the first time, released expenditure figures for individual poker machine venues to inform those who may consider bidding for machines in the lead-up to the 2012 restructuring of the industry.
Spending per venue ranged from $20.3 million to $108,000.
All but one of the 35 venues with the greatest expenditure level were hotels, the exception being the Sandown Racecourse – Highways Tabaret.
Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue was concerned about Cardinia’s increase in poker machine expenditure.
“Over the last year, an additional $1.1m has been spent on poker machines in Cardinia which is higher than inflation and higher than the annual growth period,” he said.
Mr O’Donohue said while revenue from some poker machines was used for community programs, the figures represented a very sad growth in pokies use.