Hume council welcomed the State Government’s latest move in reducing gambling harm via new legislation recently introduced into the Victorian Parliament.
The government’s ‘Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024’ will give customers more control over how much they spend when using electronic gaming machines, reducing gambling harm.
In Hume, playing electronic gaming machines (EGMs) is the second most common form of gambling, with one in three people reporting that they had spent more money than they wanted to when playing pokies.
In the 2023-24 financial year, communities across Hume lost $138 million to EGMs, the second highest recorded losses to EGMS for the municipality and the fourth highest in Victoria, a position it’s held for the last two consecutive financial years.
“Hume city is disproportionately affected by gambling harm compared to other areas in Victoria, and this Bill will go a long way in minimising the damage caused by unregulated gaming machine use,” mayor Jarrod Bell said.
The bill will help reduce the effects experienced from gambling by laying out a path towards implementing mandatory player cards when using electronic gaming machines.
The card will provide information about the card user’s gambling and allow them to set limits on how much they are willing to lose.
