MELTON Council will look to update its responsible gaming policy after the release of new data showing local gamblers spent an extra $7million on poker machines last financial year.
According to figures from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, each of Melton’s 487 machines collected an average of $116,000.
The shire’s total spend was $56million, up from the $49million in 2010-11.
The release of the figures comes as gambling counsellors call for councils to be given increased powers to refuse pokies applications.
Council’s acting planning manager, Francesca Carlton, said Melton’s gaming venues provided money back to the community via a series of grants programs.
But she said the council supported the work of the Victorian Local Government Association to minimise harm and promote responsible gaming.
“Council plans to undertake a review and update of its responsible gaming policy to respond to community issues, new state government legal requirements and changes that are occurring in the electronic gambling machine industry,” Ms Carlton said.
According to recent figures from the Justice Department, 1.9per cent of gamblers in Melbourne’s north-west were classed as problem gamblers, while 2.6per cent were at moderate risk and 6.7 at low risk of becoming problem gamblers.
HealthWest project manager James Dunne said the trend of increasing pokies losses across the western suburbs meant problem gambling habits were on the rise.
“These people might not be defined as problem gamblers but are still likely to be experiencing negative impacts of problem gambling, such as financial troubles, anxiety, stress and relationship problems,” he said.
Mr Dunne said the alarming losses across the west should prompt regulatory reform to give councils more planning clout.
