BRIMBANK has retained its place as Victoria’s top pokies-profiting municipality for another month.
New statistics from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) show Brimbank’s pokies raked in more than $11.84 million during December last year.
In November 2012, Brimbank’s pokies reaped more than $11.44 million.
Every month of last year, VCGLR data showed Brimbank’s pokies consistently earned more than those of any other Victorian municipality.
According to the VCGLR, Brimbank has become home to almost 950 pokies machines.
Within the latest financial year, more than $600 was spent every month on each individual pokies machine in Brimbank per adult resident.
Western metropolitan MP Colleen Hartland has been calling on the State Government to assist councils with problem gambling costs.
“Pokies create addiction that destroys people’s lives. We should be using every measure we can to discourage and minimise the damage” Ms Hartland said last year.
Brimbank City Council’s 2013 Electronic Gambling Policy background paper said the area – as one of Victoria’s most disadvantaged municipalities -was home to residents particularly vulnerable to pokies machine addiction.
A study commissioned by the council found areas within Brimbank which have ‘a very high propensity for the population to gamble’ included Albion, Albanvale, Ardeer, Kings Park, Sunshine, Sunshine North and West, St Albans, Keilor Park, Keilor Downs, Delahey and Deer Park.
The Brimbank study said a player on a “one cent pokies machine” could lose up to $310,000 a year playing five times in a week for two hour sessions.
Contact: Gambler’s Help Western on 9296 1234.
