Wyndham council has provided recommendations to the state government on how it believes harm caused by gaming machines can be minimised.
The council’s current policy acknowledges that gambling is a legitimate recreational activity when undertaken responsibly.
But figures reveal there are 891 gaming machines across 13 venues in Wyndham, which equates to 5.68 machines for every 1000 adults. The figure is higher than the state average of 5.3 per 1000.
The municipality is ranked eighth out of 70 municipalities across Victoria when it comes to losses from gaming machines.
The state government released a consultation paper in November last year to gauge community and stakeholder views on gaming machine harm minimisation measures. It sought feedback from councils and other stakeholders.
In its submission, Wyndam council recommended that the existing $200 EFTPOS transaction limit at gaming venues be replaced to a daily limit of $200. It recommended that winnings be paid out electronically, with a minimum 24 hour delay.
Cr Intaj Khan said that while it was important to talk about electronic gaming machines, addicts could also gamble on websites and smart phone apps.
“This is something we need to look into,” he said. “We can control the machines and put restrictions, but what about apps?”
