Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
Wimmera has seen a surge in gambling activity as electronic poker machines keep swallowing huge amounts of money.
According to recent statistics from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR), gaming expenditure in the Horsham Rural City Council rose to $5,209,336 between July and December 2018.
This marked a significant increase on the previous six-month period when punters in the region forked over $4,582,920.
The 83 pokies games at the Horsham Sports and Community Club (HSCC) were the biggest collectors, swallowing $3,009,465.
The rest went through the 36 machines at Horsham RSL ($1,180,343) and the 34 machines at West Side Horsham ($1,019,528).
According to HSCC club manager Glenn Carroll, all profits accrued from gaming, after regular trading, go back to the community through a grant program.
He added that the establishment had adopted several measures to help prevent gambling addiction.
“There is an opportunity for people to self-exclude themselves from the venue if they have a problem with gambling,” Carroll said.
“There is also a voluntary system people can sign up for which helps them keep track of their time and money spent on the machines.”
Ararat Rural City and Northern Grampians Shire also had their share of losses.
They recorded gaming expenditure of over $4.7 million in the same six-month stretch while losses rose 3.33 per cent to $312,360 in the Northern Grampians.
ALSO READ: BENDIGO REELING AFTER $50M POKIES LOSS
Shire Mayor Kevin Erwin expressed his council’s readiness to support the state government’s policies to curb problem gambling and losses.
“We are really supportive of the whole gamble responsibly messaging,” he said.
“We recognise gambling can be a problem in the community.
“Anything in moderation is OK I suppose, but that whole idea of gambling responsibly is really important.”
Between July and December 2018, gambling machines in Victoria swallowed over $1.4 billion.
Grampians Community Health counselling program leader Jemima Bibby indicated compulsion gambling was “beyond money”.
“The consequences can include the breakdown in relationship reducing self-esteem that can impact the ability to work or study, this can cause anxiety, depression and suicide,” Bibby said.
“Even though most people believe that it is the individual’s issue, it also affects their significant others, and the other side of it is that substance use and gambling often occur together.
“When an individual is under the influence of alcohol and drugs they may take more risks, not considering the short or long term effects of gambling.”
More Australian gambling news
Star Entertainment secures $800m funding injection
Star Entertainment has received a cash injection of $800 million in equity amidst a net loss of $1.26 billion for the first half of the...
ILGA chair to head NSW Independent Casino Commission
The government of New South Wales has appointed Philip Crawford, the chairman of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (IGLA), as head of the newly...
Star Casino hits snag over ‘disturbing’ tower design
The Star's plans for a new hotel and residential tower are in tatters after a scathing architectural review of the design.
Woolworths walking away from pokies with ALH-Endeavour merger
Woolworths has decided to step away from the gambling industry by giving up its majority stake in Australia's largest pokies operator, ALH Group.
Woolworths in strife over free drinks at pokies venues
Woolworths' gaming business is facing severe regulatory penalties for a series of illegal incentive schemes designed to keep gamblers at venues longer.
Latest online casino promotions
Get up to $100 bonus cash on Gentlemen’s Night at SlotsMillion
Wednesday is all about the boys at SlotsMillion Online Casino, where male punters can score a 40% bonus match up to $100 on every qualifying...
Pocket up to $100 with the Mucho Vegas Midweek Reload Bonus
Hump Day is here, and that means a 50% deposit match up to $100 with Mucho Vegas Casino's Midweek Reload Bonus. Find out more at...
Score up to 100 free spins every Wednesday at Kahuna Casino
Celebrate Hump Day in style with up to 100 free spins on Boomanji, Fruit Zen and other popular online pokies games at Kahuna Casino every...
Get up to $70 bonus cash every Tuesday at Casino-Mate
If you add $20 or more to your betting account at Casino-Mate.com this Tuesday, you can unlock a Perfect Match deposit bonus of 35 per...
Weekly bonus refunds with Emu Casino’s June Cashback Streak
Emu Casino is giving punters the chance to claim big cashback bonuses every week of June. Find out how you can get in on the...