Gaming club owners and pokies operators want to install 65 new pokies machines in the town of Castlemaine, but the general public is not pleased with the idea. The dispute over the new pokies has been taken to the Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), allowing both sides of the argument to present their cases. The plan is to build a pokies venue with 65 machines in an abandoned railway station.

Launched in 2010, the proposal has been a point of contention among residents. Mount Alexandershire rejected the plans while the Victorian Gambling Commission approved them. Now, members of the general public want to have their say in the matter. Dozens of anti-pokie protestors crowded the tribunal room, showing their support for a ban on new poker machines in the city of Castlemaine.

Instead, residents would like to see the venue turned into a non-gambling entertainment venue. The hearing will take place over the course of the next five days; however, VCAT is unsure whether this will be enough time to examine the case from all sides. If not, the decision will not be made until November.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.