$16.43 million lost at four pokie venues

Money lost in the pokies (Electronic Gaming Machines) in Baw Baw shire last financial year would have been enough to pay for the West Gippsland Arts Centre rebuild and leave a couple of million dollars change.

Figures published by the Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation reveal that gamblers at the four pokies venues in the shire lost almost $16.43 million in the 12 months ended last June.

Cost of the Arts Centre redevelopment is now expected to exceed $14 million.

Three Warragul venues - the Warragul Club (Downtowner), Warragul Country Club and the Club Hotel – have almost 90 per cent of the 238 pokies machines in the shire. The others are at the Drouin Family Hotel. Last financial year’s losses were up about 5.4 per cent on the previous year that had recorded a rise of just over six per cent on 2015-2016.

The VCGLR estimates the losses by players in Baw Baw last financial year were around $415 for every adult resident, about $140 below the average per adult across the State.

The pokies losses in Gippsland’s five municipalities amounted to more than $130 million for the year.

In Latrobe City were there are 13 licenced gaming venues and 521 EGMs losses amounted to $44.6 million.

In East Gippsland (10 venues) the figure was $24.3 million, Bass Coast (five venues) $17.6 million and in South Gippsland shire (four venues) $6.3 million.