Frankston Council calls for ban on any more poker machines
FRANKSTON Council will seek a ban on extra gaming machines, which already gobble up $170,981 every day.
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FRANKSTON Council will seek a ban on extra gaming machines, which already gobble up $170,981 every day.
In an effort to ease gambling harm, the council will call on Premier Daniel Andrews, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, Frankston state Labor MP Paul Edbrooke and Carrum state Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny, for a moratorium and/or permanent ban on any more pokies in the city.
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Councillor Glenn Aitken, who moved the motion, said the devastation caused by pokies was worse than that from betting on the horses or greyhounds.
“They are designed to be addictive and repetitive,” he said.
“It attracts people who are vulnerable and it destroys communities and it’s incredibly sad.”
Cr Steve Toms said it was a forward thinking and timely action. “It’s a nationwide issue gambling reform and combating the harm that gambling does to our community and RSLs,” he said.
In Frankston there are 519 poker machines across nine venues.
The municipality has a regional cap of 457 machines, which is already at 100 per cent, covering Carrum Downs, Seaford, Frankston, Frankston North, and Frankston South.
Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesman Tim Costello said it was critical that council got involved to try and reduce the “unacceptable levels” of harm being inflicted by a dangerous product.
He said there was a link between pokies addiction and family violence, suicide, crime and financial stress.
“City of Frankston needs to roll up its sleeves and get directly involved in trying to manage down losses, particularly by pressuring venues to reduce their operating hours,” he said.
Mr Costello said nothing good happened at these pokies venues at 3am.
Pokies losses in Frankston for the first five months of this year totalled $26.43 million, an increase of $1.61 million on the same period last year.
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