By Jessica Micallef
More than $11 million has been fed to poker machines in Hume, according to the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
The latest data from the alliance reveals $11.01 million was spent on Hume poker machines in January this year, up 19 per cent compared to January 2020 ($9.29 million).
However, the data also showed a six per cent decrease in money spent on Hume poker machines in January this year when compared to December 2020, with $11.76 million fed into machines.
In the Macedon Ranges, gamblers spent $791,768 across the shire’s poker machines in January this year – 0.2 per cent less than January 2020 ($792,985).
Macedon Ranges gamblers almost spent $16,816 less on poker machines in December than in January this year.
Across the state and more than $7.7 million was spent on poker machines daily in January this year – $500,000 more a day than January 2020.
Gambling venues across Victoria were closed between March 16 and November 8 last year as a result of the state government’s coronavirus restrictions.
Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said the astounding losses were occurring at a time when the Victorian economy desperately need stimulus.
“These increases are hugely concerning and show just how important it is for the Victorian government to reinstate restrictions they had in place when poker machines were switched back on in November 2020, such as reduced poker machine operating hours,” he said.
“Those restrictions worked. That was a real-time, real-life experiment showing that gambling harm is reduced when opening hours are shortened.”
Mr Costello said it was “simply absurd” that Victoria had the worst pokies opening hours in Australia at 20 hours a day.
In September, 13 councils, including four in Melbourne’s north-west, wrote an open letter to Premier Daniel Andrews, requesting poker machines be closed between midnight and 10am as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
