TEN more gaming machines at Whittlesea Bowls Club would drain money from residents and exacerbate problem gambling, a gaming board has been told.
Whittlesea Council is fighting the club’s bid to boost its gaming machines from 40 to 50, putting its case to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation last week.
It also hinted that the high-earning club was less than generous in its returns to the town.
In its submission, the council said: “The applicant currently provides around $16,000 annually in community support programs … the current level of support is quite low considering the revenue.”
Punters poured $2,779,255 into gaming machines at the club in the past financial year.
While the club has promised to boost community contributions by between $70,000 and $150,000 if its bid for more machines is successful, the council said it had not provided details about commitments, and that some community groups had resolved not to accept funds derived from the proceeds of pokies.
The council said the club had underestimated its expected earnings from the 10 machines at $83,378 for the 2012-13 financial year, while an independent gaming analyst had put it at between $163,284 and $284,879.
Cr Frank Alessi, who chairs the Whittlesea Responsible Gambling Forum, said the last time the club increased machines, from 35 to 40, punters spent 23 per cent more.
“It was not proportional for those five machines, so you could expect the same again,” he said. The club says the extra machines will create jobs.
The VCGLR will deliver its findings within 21 days. Cr Alessi said if it approved the machines, the council could take its fight to VCAT.
Local support services, including Kildonan and Whittlesea Community Connections, backed the submission, telling the VCGLR they regularly saw the financial and emotional problems caused by problem gambling.
