Daniel Andrews, Matthew Guy back pokies as Greens call to phase them out

VICTORIA’S major parties say pokies are here to stay, despite a push by the Greens to phase the machines out over the next decade.

VICTORIA’S major parties say pokies are here to stay, despite a Greens’ push to phase the machines out over the next decade.

The Victorian Greens want to scrap the 20-year extension to pokies licences, due to kick in from 2022.

Six-year extensions would instead be offered but no new licences granted after 2028.

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The Greens called for a $200 million compensation fund to help venues that voluntarily cancel their licences before 2028 transition to “socially inclusive services such as libraries, arts, sports, gyms and music nights”.

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said pokies were costing lives.

“The harm they cause forces people into debt, ruins relationships and results in spiralling mental health issues,” she said.

“Instead of seeking to understand the damage they cause, Labor and Liberal have been blinded by dollar signs.”

Premier Daniel Andrews says pokies are ‘a perfectly legitimate form of recreational activity’ for most Victorians.

But Premier Daniel Andrews said pokies were “a perfectly legitimate form of recreational activity” for most Victorians.

He said the government had provided record support for a small number of problem gamblers.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy also confirmed his support and said maintaining the current number of licences was “sensible”.

“The vast majority of people who use poker machines use them responsibly and sensibly,” Mr Guy said.

Gamblers lost $2.7 billion on Victorian pokies last financial year— a $91 million increase on the previous year.

Pokies generate more than $1 billion in taxes for the state government.

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