None of Wyndham’s 13 gaming venues will take part in a trial pre-commitment scheme for problem gamblers despite punters losing more than $93 million on the municipality’s poker machines in the past financial year.
The state government’s YourPlay initiative will run at 14 venues across the state for three months, with gamblers signing up for a swipe card that allows them to set gambling limits. The program issues reminders and tracks how much time and money is being spent on the machines.
The government asked gaming venues to nominate to be part of the trial, while gamblers will also take part on a volunteer basis.
The scheme will be rolled out across the state in December.
The government did not answer questions from
Star Weekly about why the trial was being conducted in venues that volunteered to take part rather than in areas with high pokies losses.
But Gaming Minister Jane Garrett said YourPlay was just one of the tools people could use to help them stay in control of their gambling.
“The government shares the community’s concerns around the impact of gambling,” she said. “We’re committed to reducing gaming- related harm.”
Wyndham recorded the eighth-highest gambling loss among Victorian municipalities between July, 2014, and June this year. Brimbank punters lost the most ($141 million).
The highest Wyndham losses were recorded at the Werribee Plaza Tavern, where gamblers parted with more than $14 million, followed by Werribee’s Commercial Tavern, which recorded almost $13 million in losses.
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland labelled voluntary pre-commitment a “sham”, adding that the government knew it would make no difference to gambling habits.
“Research has already shown it will do nothing to reduce problem gambling,” she said,
Ms Hartland said the worsening pokies losses in Wyndham showed a need for $1 bet limits and a mandatory pre-commitment scheme.
