By Charlene Gatt
CITY of Maribyrnong pokie venues remained tight lipped following a statewide auction of poker machines last week.
The Western Bulldogs bought only 55 machines for its new Club Edgewater development, which the club purchased at an average cost of $62,000 each.
Clue Edgewater was earmarked for a 70-machine gaming room.
But no other venue pokie operators in the municipality were willing to disclose how many machines they successfully bid for, or how much they paid, when Star contacted them.
The Yarraville Club is presently the biggest poker machine venue in the municipality, with 78 machines, followed by Yarraville Club Cricket Club (76), Maribyrnong’s Highpoint Taverner (70) and the Ashley Hotel (50).
A total of $29,738,328.13 has been poured into the municipality’s 463 machines this financial year.
The State Government auctioned off 10-year gaming licences for the state’s 27,500 poker machines last week, breaking a 16-year duopoly on licences by Tattersalls and Tabcorp.
The changes, which will take effect in 2012, mean gaming operators will receive 100 per cent of gaming revenue, but will have to give the State Government a 30 per cent cut.
Presently, revenue from a gaming machine is split three ways – with the venue, the State Government and Tattersalls or Tabcorp each getting a third of total revenue.
The auction raised $981 million.
A State Government statement said the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation would confirm and announce poker machine entitlement holders on 7 June.
Minister for Gaming Tony Robinson said the State Government had maintained municipal and regional gaming caps during the auction process.
