Councillors say State Government needs to take responsibility for poker crisis

The Whittlesea community’s addiction to poker machines has been labelled as “as bad as family violence” by a Whittlesea councillor. He and others are calling on the State Government to step up to help solve the gambling “epidemic”.

Whittlesea gamblers poured $110.9 million into poker machines in 2018-19.

Whittlesea’s addiction to poker machines has reached an “epidemic” level and the State Government needs to take responsibility, councillors say.

Councillors have called on the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Gaming Marlene Kairouz to help organise a community forum about the impact of poker machines on Whittlesea residents.

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The motion, at this week’s council meeting, also resolved to advocate for language specific gambling awareness resources for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

It comes in the wake of damning Alliance for Gambling Reform statistics which revealed Epping’s Plaza Hotel was the only venue in the state, other than Crown Casino to have more than $20 million poured into poker machines in 2018-19.

Whittlesea gamblers poured $110.9 million into poker machines across the municipality’s 10 venues in 2018-19, equating to $655 per Whittlesea adult.

Speaking in support of the motion Cr Caz Monteleone said Whittlesea’s love affair with gambling was “as bad as family violence”.

Whittlesea Cr Caz Monteleone.

“We need to act and we need to act now,” Cr Monteleone said.

“We need to send as strong a message as possible to the State Government that enough is enough.

“We need to tell them the truth that the City of Whittlesea doesn’t want to put up with this epidemic as it stands.”

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Cr Monteleone said the State Government had a “conflict of interest” because they benefited financially from money being lost to the machines.

Cr Kris Pavlidis said she was aware of people taking their lives because of their addiction to poker machines.

The solution was not about prohibition, rather regulation and partnering with different community organisations and stakeholders to provide education and support about the devastation caused by gambling, she said.

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