General News
7 October, 2022
GAMBLING HOT SPOT $9m lost to pokies
A new report finds Horsham gamers are losing a substantial amount in local pokies every year.
Horsham pokies players are losing almost $9 million a year to the slot machines - equivalent to more than $500 for every adult member of the population.
Latest statistics from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) reveal a total of $988,713 was poured into the poker machines at Horsham’s three licensed clubs during August - up from $967,863 in July.
The total figure for the last financial year was $8,918,822. This was up from $5,859,438 year prior, although that included a period when gaming venues were closed owing to Covid regulations.
The statistics also place Horsham as having the highest concentration of pokies in Victoria, with 153 electronic gaming machine (EGM) licences - one for every 134 residents - putting the city in the unenviable position of the state’s pokies hot spot.
The maximum permissible number of machines is 10 per 1000 adult members of the population.
Horsham’s ratio sits at 9.91, having effectively reached saturation point.
The biggest money-spinner by far is Horsham Sports and Community Club. The Baillie Street club is listed by the VGCCC as having a total of 83 EGMs - raking in more than $5.4 million in player losses in the past financial year.
That is equivalent to more than $65,000 earned by each machine.
The RSL has 36 EGMs, collecting more than $1.6 million - equivalent to $46,261 per machine.
West Side Horsham has 34 - earning an average of $53,952 per machine - netting the club more than $1.8 million up to June this year.
Owing to the amount of income Horsham Sports and Community Club receives from the pokies, it is obliged under VGCCC regulations to donate a minimum of $90,000 per year to local not-for-profit community and sporting organisations.
Horsham RSL and West Side Horsham have no such obligations.
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Horsham Sports and Community Club manager Glenn Carroll said all club profits after normal trading were distributed back to the local community.
He said this had included more than $3 million handed out to sporting clubs and community groups across the Wimmera since the club’s inception in 1992.
“In the past 12 months we have provided over 1200 meals to the Christian Emergency Food Centre in Firebrace Street for people in need, and we currently have $30,000 to spend on a local community project which our members are now voting on,” Mr Carroll said.
The club boasts a membership in excess of 5400 and employs 34 staff.
“Our purpose is to support the community,” Mr Carroll said. “That’s our objective - and I think we do that pretty well.”
Horsham RSL manager Tim Nurse declined to comment.
West Side Horsham was contacted by the Horsham Times.
Child and Family Services (CAFS) offers support to people concerned about gambling through Gamblers Help, a free, confidential phone helpline and face-to-face service.
“We understand that gambling can affect people across the Wimmera, from all walks of life and in different ways,” CAFS Gamblers Help community engagement officer John Bradshaw told The Horsham Times.
“If you’re spending more money and time than you can afford, it can cause problems. It means your gambling is harmful to you and those you care for.
“It's not just about money. Gambling can affect how you feel, causing stress or anxiety.
“Child and Family Services provides free and confidential support in the Wimmera in a caring, non-judgmental environment.
“Our highly experienced team delivers personalised financial and therapeutic counselling and practical support to anyone who gambles or is affected by the gambling of someone close to them.”
For more information, visit https://cafs.org.au/gamblers-help/ or call 5337 3333 during normal office hours.
For free, confidential support 24/7, visit gamblershelp.com.au or call 1800 858 858.
Gamblers Help is a statewide service run by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, and CAFS provides support within the Grampians region.
All Gambler's Help services are free. You can chat online or over the phone with a counsellor, partner with volunteer ex-gamblers for peer support, or simply watch video stories on the website of real life experiences as told by reformed gamblers.
CAFS also provides broader support to students, teachers and sports leaders to “Love the Game, Not the Odds”, providing a public health, preventative approach to gambling harm./roxen-files/print/images/magic-tab.png "[tab]")
For a free presentation, email john.bradshaw@cafs.org.au