Wyndham recorded a decrease in electronic gaming machine (EGM) expenditure in May – the first time since February that spending has fallen.
Data from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) reveals that in May, $10.4 million was lost at poker machines in Wyndham, a 2.6 per cent drop from April when $10.7 million was spent.
Monash University’s head of gambling and social determinants unit, Associate Professor Charles Livingstone, said it was too early to tell if rising costs of living would prompt a further decline.
“[The results] may be a small ‘blip’ because of inflation, or it may indeed signal some progress on harm prevention,” he said.
“If real cost of living exceeds wage rises, we may see a continuation of this trend. However, a recession, triggering unemployment, etc, may see increased spending as people become more stressed and anxious about their future.
“Some areas may have relatively high levels of social or economic stress, triggering higher expenditure.”
Associate Professor Livingstone believes there are numerous initiatives communities can adopt to reduce gambling stigmas while simultaneously stressing the harms.
“[Avoid] unhelpful terms like ‘problem gambling’, ‘responsible gambling’ and ‘problem gamble’, [ focus] on the way EGMs are designed to be addictive, and helping increase awareness of their ability to consume significant amounts of money very quickly may be more helpful,” he said.
“Communities should also pressure local and state governments to reduce the availability of EGM gambling, through reductions in opening hours and the number of venues and EGMs within communities.”
There are 13 hotels and clubs across the municipality that host more than 900 licensed EGMs.
The Werribee Place Tavern, on the corner of Derrimut and Heath roads, earned $3.6 million between in 2021-22, the highest expenditure in Wyndham.
