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NorthPort
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Werribee criticised for porkies
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Saw this on the Bay FM website... 

 

Wyndham council slams pokies inrease

Rebecca McDonald / 10 May 2018

pokies handWyndham council says a decision to allow a VFL club's gambling venue to add even more poker machines will hurt the local community.

VFL club Werribee has been given approval to install a further ten machines at its Tigers Clubhouse venue in Old Geelong Road, Hoppers Crossing.

The City of Wyndham had asked the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation to refuse the application

Wyndham's booming population is dominated by young families and elderly retirees - two of the highest-risk groups for gambling addiction.

The city ranks eighth among Victoria's 70 municipalities for gaming machine losses.

Councillor Josh Gilligan, who chairs Wyndham's Gambling Reference Advisory Group, said the VCGLR's decision was disappointing.

 

 

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“In the 2016/17 financial year alone our community lost $97 million on pokies. That’s $275,000 being funnelled out of our community every single day.”

Cr Gilligan said the gambling regulator's own data showed that gambling losses by Wyndham adults are increasing almost eight times faster than the state average.

And he cast doubt on claims by football clubs that gaming profits were returned to local communities.

Cr Gilligan said council analyses revealed the Tiger Clubhouse would pay an extra $200,000 from 2022.

"(That means) much of the profits of these new machines will be gobbled up by Treasury and spent elsewhere, rather than staying in the Wyndham community.”