Whittlesea venues top state when it comes to pokies expenditure

The Epping Plaza Hotel and Mill Park’s Plough Hotel have topped the state when it comes to pokies expenditure, with more than $40 million poured into the two venues machines alone.

Gamblers poured $107 million into poker machines across Whittlesea.

GAMBLERS poured more than $107 million into gaming machines in Whittlesea in the past 12 months, with the Epping Plaza Hotel and Mill Park’s Plough Hotel topping the state when it came to expenditure.

The one-two punch saw patrons spend $20.96 million on machines at the Epping Plaza Hotel — more than any other Victorian venue — and sink $19.4 million into pokies at the Plough Hotel.

The Bundoora Taverner ($17.34 million) and Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown ($16.27 million) were also high on the list, compiled by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.

Punters spent an average of more than $290,000 a day across 10 venues in Whittlesea. It equates to a spend of $540 per person each year in the municipality.

Patrons spent $19.4 million on poker machines at the Plough Hotel in Mill Park.

A proposed application for 40 poker machines at the Commercial Hotel will go to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month.

Whittlesea councillor and staunch anti-gambling advocate Sam Alessi said the results were damning.

“We’ve got another record that we’d rather not have,” Cr Alessi said.

“From a council perspective we’ve always tried to take a stand on reducing losses in our municipality … there has never been a positive community aspect in installing poker machines.”

Prevention co-ordinator for Whittlesea Community Connections Bianca Opasinis said a lack of education on how poker machines worked — as well as a lack of alternative entertainment options — were driving the high expenditure.

“People will often play the machines and not realise that they are designed to be appealing and they do take their money. They are playing them without being aware of the harm,” she said.

The Epping Plaza Hotel topped the state when it came to poker machine expenditure with $20.96 million.

Whittlesea Mayor Ricky Kirkham described pokies as a scourge on the community.

“They come at a terrible cost to our residents,” he said.

“We want people to know that poker machines are rigged and designed for the machine to win and for users to become addicted.”

Tony Parsons, gaming operations manager for HLM Group, which runs Epping Plaza Hotel, said the hotel was happy to work with the council.

“All hotels contribute 8.33 per cent of revenue to the Government’s Community Support Fund,” he said.

“We strongly believe the amount contributed by hotels should be directed back to the relevant communities.”

Gambler’s Help: 1800 858 858