Poker machine reforms slammed by anti-gambling advocates

AFL clubs could become pokie venue giants as a result of poker machine reforms, anti-gambling groups fear.

POKER machine reforms could see AFL clubs become pokie venue giants, anti-gambling advocates have warned.

Under the changes ­announced by the state ­government yesterday, pokie ­licences will be doubled to 20 years and club venue operators will have their maximum ­machine caps increased from 420 to 840.

Alliance for Gambling ­Reform spokesman Kelvin Thomson warned the move would lead to AFL venues bringing in more poker machines and increase gambling harm in the community.

Mr Thomson said an AFL club could now have up to 840 machines, adding “clubs like Hawthorn and Collingwood can now have up to eight ­venues with pokies’’.
“There is no reduction in numbers and it is all about ­certainty for the gambling ­industry and the Upper House needs to step in,” he said.

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Premier Daniel Andrews and Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulations Minister Martene Kairouz. Picture: Elle Smith

The other Andrews Government reforms include freezing the current state cap at 27,372 machines and 105 per venue until 2042. There will also be changes to taxation revenue and premiums.

In recent years, smaller ­venues have been giving up their pokie licences, a trend that frees up more ­machines for club venue operators without breaking the cap.

Consumer ­Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Minister Marlene Kairouz said gambling harm would not ­increase in Victoria under the new cap.

“Not a single extra gaming machine will be allowed in ­Victoria for the next 25 years, helping limit gambling-related harm in our community,’’ she said. “The reforms also provide certainty to pubs, clubs and hotels across Victoria, and have been informed by an extensive review that included more than 200 public submissions.”

Victorian Greens gambling spokeswoman Colleen Hartland said the government was addicted to poker machine revenue and did not go hard enough.

“Pokies rip billions of dollars from Victorian communities each year, and Labor is now locking in this crisis for another three decades,” she said.

“Labor is addicted to the tax revenue from these machines and ... it’s the poorest communities that get hit the hardest.”

The announcement comes ahead of the “Love the Game” round this weekend, in which more than 20 AFL leagues and commissions will play matches dedicated to a statewide anti-gambling campaign.

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