Pokies crackdown

By Sarah Schwager
CASEY Council is pushing to cap the amount of poker machines in the municipality.
The move comes as the State Government prepares to launch an inquiry into the probity of gaming licensing in Victoria.
Because of significant population growth in areas such as Cranbourne North and Cranbourne East, council officers have suggested the new gaming capped area should reflect the areas of vulnerability and concentration of pokies in Casey.
This would mean keeping pokies out of those growth areas.
More than $107 million was lost on Casey pokies last financial year and of the city’s 879 machines operating almost around the clock, each pokie took, on average, just over $122,000 from punters.
At last week’s council meeting, deputy mayor Kevin Bradford said there were far too many gaming machines in Casey as it was.
“There are supposed to be no more than 10 machines per 1000 people.
“Currently we have 12.6 (per 1000),” he said.
“There are so many people struggling in Cranbourne with rent, mortgage and medical bills.
“It is a real dilemma. Gambling is an addiction.
“As the population increases, then they can apply for more machines but it is pertinent now that we wait until we see what the results of the impact study are.”
In its submission to the government’s select committee on the inquiry, council will support the inclusion of Cranbourne, Cranbourne West, Lyndhurst, Lynbrook and Hampton Park within the extended regional capping area.
However, council is also behind a 15 per cent reduction in the number of machines in the capped area.
Councillor Lorraine Wreford said there was a much higher ratio of pokies than the current population in Cranbourne and even into the future.
“I don’t oppose gaming but I do in lower socio-economic areas with a high density of gaming machines.
“I think it is unfair they are even thinking of putting more machines around the Cranbourne area,” Cr Wreford said.