Community leaders in the area of Bendingo want to see the poker machine cap reduced, so that fewer pokies are allowed to be installed. However, the state government has ignored the request, stating that the cap will continue to increase along with the population of the city. Bendingo is one of the few Australian areas that has yet to meet its cap.

As it stands, more than 200 new machines are allowed to be built in local pubs and hotels, but the community does not agree with the law. Councillor James Reade wants the government to reduce the cap to match the number of poker machines that are already in the city. He, along with other community leaders, do not want more poker machines in the area and believe that the current collection is more than enough.

However, his idea did not go over well with the local government. “(The) state government is ignoring the fact the community are against more poker machines,” Reade says. “We recognise poker machines are legal, we just don’t want any additional machines”. This is a valid point.

While he and his supporters are not against poker machines in general, Reade would like to keep the gambling environment the same by not adding more machines. He will need more community support, however, if he wants the government to work with him.

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.