Among Australian politicians, we are seeing an increase in the number of lawmakers who want more money from pokies to be put back into the community. One of the latest politicians to join this fight is Darebin Mayor Gaetano Greco, who believes that local hotels should pay more money from their pokie profits to fund local communication products.
In Darebin, hotels are required to pay 8.3% of their pokie profits to the Community Support Fund. The types of organisations that benefit from this funding are drug education, tourism, arts, sports and problem gambling programs. The Community Support Fund is a valuable service to local organisations, but Mayor Greco believes that it could be doing more to support the community.
According to the Herald Sun [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/darebin-mayor-calls-for-citys-pokies-cash-back/story-fnglenug-1226940165126], Darebin residents spent $82.3 million on pokies across the city. Of that revenue, hotel pokies were responsible for a $6 million return to local community programs. Last year, none of that money was given to programs operating in Darebin.
Mayor Greco feels that this is unfair, as the money that was spent on pokies in Darebin should go back to local programs in the city. He asked that just 4% of the tax was given to Darebin community groups. “There’s no doubt some money is reaching Darebin through the statewide service but in terms of direct funds for facilities none of that’s coming through,” he says.
“That money was lost in Darebin. If at least half of it came back the council or the community can develop some Darebin community-specific strategies to assist problem gamblers.” He certainly has a point, but it does not seem to make much of a difference to Minister of Gaming Edward O’Donahue. He stated that the ministry has no plans to change the way funds are allocated in the Community Support Fund.
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