WHITTLESEA council has vowed to block the Whittlesea Bowls Club’s bid for more gaming machines.
The club has applied for 10 extra poker machines, which would increase the venue’s number of pokies to 50.
The club bought 10-year entitlements to the machines at the former Brumby government’s poker machine auction in 2010. However it still needs planning approval from the council and
the Victorian Commission for Gaming Regulation to install them.
Whittlesea councillors last week voted to fight the club’s bid for new machines. Its opposition follows a report that revealed a 23 per cent rise in spending at the club when it increased its gaming machines from 35 to 40.
The bowls club, in Church Street, falls outside the area where the number of poker machines allowed is capped. The council fears any increase in the number of machines would mean more money lost by the community.
A date has not been set for a VCGR hearing.
Meanwhile, the council will not oppose a bid by Epping RSL to obtain five extra machines.
Epping RSL is within the capped area so the five machines would be sourced from existing pokies venues within the region.
Recent VCGR figures show losses at gaming venues across the north are rising. A council report tipped losses in Whittlesea alone are expected to top $100 million this year. The average loss per adult is $822 a year, well above the state average of $613.
The council’s Responsible Gaming Forum chairman Sam Alessi said councillors were concerned about the social and economic impact more pokies would have on Whittlesea residents.
“It was a unanimous decision,” he said.
