More than $20 million lost on poker machines in Boroondara last year

Punters lost more than $20 million on poker machines in Boroondara last year, with a leading anti-gambling advocate saying loneliness is a key driver in gambling addiction.

Poker machines across Boroondara swallowed tens of millions of dollars last financial year, prompting an urgent call for gambling reform.

The municipality’s 162 machines netted $20.4 million of players’ hard earned cash in the year to June 30, with slots at the Harp of Erin Hotel in Kew East the biggest earners, collecting more than $9 million.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesman Reverend Tim Costello, whose organisation released the data, said gambling harm affected people of all socio-economic backgrounds.

While other municipality’s suffered greater gaming loses, including the outer northern suburb of Epping in Whittlesea where more than $20 million was lost at one gaming venue alone, he said the amount lost in Boroondara was “no drop in the ocean either”.

“Imagine how much stronger the local economy would be if the money was spent on goods and services instead,” Rev Costello said.

“Machines will always take in more money than they pay out, no matter how long you play them. That’s how they’re designed; they win, you lose.”

He called on gaming venues to stop offering free food and drinks to players because it encouraged them to keep sitting at the machine and lose money.

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He also called on the industry to reduce the maximum bet on gaming machines from $5 to $1 to reduce gambling losses, and said machines needed to be more transparent with people about how much they were losing.

“We also need to see an end to losses disguised as wins. You can put a dollar in a machine and it will carry on about you winning 20 cents, when you’ve actually lost 80 cents,” he said.

Many people addicted to the slots played out of loneliness, he said, and in extreme cases gambling addiction could lead to financial hardship, relationship breakdowns, mental health issues, domestic violence and suicide.

“Many of the people gambling on poker machines are doing so as it’s an activity they can do surrounded by other people but not be judged for being on their own,” he said

“Gambling harm is damaging to people’s mental health and to our communities and must be addressed urgently.”