Council rejects pokie bid

Increase in machines ‘community detriment’

GEELONG Council is set to advocate for the rejection of a Geelong RSL bid to almost double its number of pokies machines.

Councillors will vote tomorrow on a recommendation to provide a submission to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) advocating for the refusal of the RSL’s appli- cation to increase the number of pokies from 42 to 72.

The report suggests the refusal of the Belmont club’s application as it would result in a “net community detriment”.

“Problem gambling is expected to increase in the community should the application be approved,” the report noted.

“The applicant identifies that gambling losses at the venue will be approximately $2.9 million in the first twelve months.

“Community members have expressed views that granting the increase will have a negative impact on the community.”

The report comes just weeks after it was revealed Geelong had posted its worst monthly pokies losses in almost a decade in July — losing $10.67 million to the region’s machines in just 31 days.

The city had lost more in a single month just once before, when pokies swallowed $11.33 million in December 2008, the gaming commission statistics showed.

It also comes on the back of the city’s second worst ever financial year loss of $118.8 million in 2017-18.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform director Tim Costello last month raised concerns with Geelong’s pokies losses.

“Geelong is suffering from pokies losses that are rising at almost double the state aver- age,” Mr Costello said.

“It is shocking to think that it is becoming common for losses to exceed $10 million in a single month.

“Increased losses mean rising harm, family violence, suicide, financial hardship and crime, which is particularly disturbing when you consider Geelong was the recent host of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation conference focusing on addressing gambling harm.”