By ALESHA CAPONNE
THE AMOUNT raked in by Wyndham’s pokies has fallen to a 20-month low, according to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation.
Figures from the VCGR show in February this year, punters spent $6.31 million at the area’s 10 pokies venues.
This is the lowest amount recorded in Wyndham since July 2010, with the total monthly amount earned from pokies never dipping below $6.53 million since then.
During this timeframe, the most money Wyndham’s residents and visitors spent on the pokies within a month was $8.13 million, in August 2011.
However, Wyndham’s gamblers still continue to spend more on the pokies than the average Victorian.
In the 2010-2011 financial year, $730 was spent on every pokies machine in Wyndham, for every adult who lives within the area.
This compares to the state average of $613 per adult.
Wyndham’ City Council CEO Kerry Thompson said the council was currently reviewing its Electronic Gaming Machine Policy and was also developing a Responsible Gambling Strategy.
“The Productivity Commission estimates that approximately one per cent of Australian adults experience severe problems with their gambling and an additional two per cent are at moderate risk, meaning that they experience lower levels of harm that may progress to problem gambling,” she said.
“This equates to approximately 3000 people in Wyndham who are either at a severe or moderate risk of problem gambling.
“Excessive gambling behaviours can lead to serious social and financial issues and higher expenditure on gaming machines can lead to an increase in crime, especially income-generating offending such as fraud, theft and robbery.
“Problem gambling has also been shown to be strongly linked with other health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug dependence and family violence.”
