Victorian pokie players register second biggest loss on record

Victorians are losing in a big way, with pokie players recording the second highest losses since the gaming machines were brought in. And gamblers around Dandenong are the most out of pocket in the state.

Victoria has recorded its second biggest annual pokies loss ever.

Victorian gamblers lost $2.7 billion on poker machines in the last financial year — the second highest loss since pokies were introduced to the state in 1991.

Gamblers in Greater Dandenong lose the most — an average of $907 for every adult in the area, while in Brimbank the loss was $879 and Latrobe $754.

Epping Plaza Hotel was again the venue where punters lost the most — $20.2 million or more than $55,000 a day. And four of the top 10 venues for losses were in the City of Whittlesea council area.

Epping Plaza Hotel earned the most money in Victoria from poker machines.

Figures from the Victorian Commission for Liquor and Gambling Regulation show the state now has 26,448 poker machines at 496 venues.

The total losses of $2.698 billion were just below the $2.707 billion record loss in 2008-09.

Hawthorn Football Club’s two pokies venues - Vegas at Waverley Gardens and West Waters Hotel in Caroline Springs - raked in almost $25 million, the highest of any AFL club.

Carlton’s coffers were boosted by $17.8 million in losses from its four venues, ahead of Essendon ($11.1 million), Richmond ($5.3 million) and St Kilda ($2.3 million).

Collingwood sold The Club in Melton and the Coach & Horses in Ringwood last December. The two venues hauled in $8.9 million and $4 million respectively for the financial year.

North Melbourne has long been proud to be pokies-free, while Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Geelong have committed to divest pokies venues from their books.

The Dees sold the Leighoak Club in Oakleigh to the Moonee Valley Racing Club a year ago.

Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesman the Rev Tim Costello said that on average, Victorian adults lost $530 on the pokies last year.

“We must not forget that poker machines lead to the loss of much more than money. In extreme cases, poker machines cause the loss of lives via suicide,’’ Rev Costello said.

“Then there is the loss of homes, families, relationships, jobs, cars and much more due to gambling harm.’’

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The numbers come after the Herald Sun revealed in March that only 17,000 gamblers had signed up to a scheme designed to limit their losses.

The voluntary YourPlay system sets personalised messages which pop up when gamblers approach their pokie playing limits on poker machines.

Rev Costello claimed pokies dens used predatory behaviour to target vulnerable people.

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@IanRoyall