Government plans to cut back local pokies

Andrew Mathieson
The Bracks Government plans to slash the amount of pokies at some Geelong gaming venues.
Labor has vowed to honour an election promise from 2002 to the City of Greater Geelong and Borough of Queenscliffe to meet existing caps on gaming machines.
The Government has identified the region as one of five “vulnerable” areas where some gaming venues exceeded the pokies caps.
The policy, now approaching its second phase, is aimed at reducing problem gambling.
More than 400 poker machines were cut five years ago throughout the state.
Minister for Gaming John Pandazopoulos said the amount of machines in Victoria had almost dropped seven per cent.
The Government has also spent $111 million on problem gaming programs.
“These results are in stark contrast to the last Liberal Government, which saw record growth in pokie spending and an increase in machine numbers from 5300 to almost 30,000,” he said.
Mr Pandazopoulos’s spokesperson said the Government expected to make a policy announcement on Geelong pokies in the “coming weeks or months”.
However, reductions in pokies at some venues could mean increases at other gaming centres on the other side of town.
“If there’s an area that has exceeded the caps, the machines will come out,” the spokesperson said.
“But if there is an area that’s under, there might be a slight increase to them.”
A Geelong pokies club manager, who did not want to be identified, was not convinced reducing gaming machines would curb gambling habits.
“I don’t know how that’s going to affect (gamblers),” the manager said.
“People can go to horse racing instead they’re going to find somewhere else to go.
“At the end of the day, the dollars just go somewhere else.”
A spokesperson at another club expected a reduction in machines would have a significant impact on the business’s turnover.
“Of course it will,” the spokesperson said.
“We won’t get enough returns for it.”