The Ballarat City Council is currently in the process of introducing new pokies into the city centre. Council members feel that bringing new pokies into the central business district will help to reduce problem gambling rates in the city. However, responsible gambling advocates are not convinced that this is the best course of action.
According to Councillor Des Hudson, it is more effective to reduce problem gambling rates by placing pokies in the business district instead of in residential areas. He and other councillors believe that this is the most effective solution because the new pokies would not be located close to peoples’ homes, requiring them to travel a fair distance to access the games.
Unfortunately for Hudson and the rest of the Ballarat City Council, anti-gambling campaigners do not agree. Paul Bendat believes that bringing pokies into the city centre would give problem gamblers even more access to the games because it is in such a central area.
"There's tremendous focus on public transport into the CBD, there's shopping there, there's Centrelink there, there's entertainment there,” he argues “It is a hub for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds to be in the CBD in Ballarat”. He certainly has a point. Even though the pokies will not be close to residential areas, they will be in a central neighbourhood that is accessible by all residents.
As such, it is unlikely that installing the games in the business district will reduce problem gambling rates. Adding new pokies to any location is likely cause an increase in gambling spending. Now should be the time that city councils are looking to reduce poker machine numbers.
Problem gambling rates are at an all-time high, and it is important for politicians to explore all responsible gambling options, including capping pokie numbers and introducing sinking lids.
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