The Bridge Inn Hotel will soon add another 20 poker machines to its gaming floor. The decision to add new games was met with a great deal of criticism, but the venue’s owners will continue with their plan to increase the number of poker machines on the property. According to the Star Weekly, the issue was heavily debated by local city councillors.
After the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation’s (VCGLR) granted approval for the new games, safe gambling advocates jumped into action.
They held a meeting to dispute the benefits and disadvantages of adding new games to the Bridge Inn Hotel, and councillor Sam Alessi put forward a motion to review the decision which would include lawyers, expert witnesses, testimony from community members and a forensic accountant.
However, it did not receive any support. Alessi notes that the new games will benefit the owners of the hotel but recognises that they could cause harm to the local community. Studies have suggested that problem gambling rates are higher in the areas with the most poker machines, and Councillor Alessi wants to prevent this from being an issue in Whittlesea.
““I believe the commission erred in its decision so we should fight it,” he says. “The benefit will be for the proprietors of the venue, but the loss to our community will be enormous.” Councillor Rex Griffen took a different approach. He suggested that the decision should not be reviewed but instead the state should consider a reduced cap on poker machines within the state.
His motion passed with eight votes to one. The new poker machines will be installed at the Bridge Inn Hotel shortly.
There is no word on when exactly the new titles will be available, but it should be soon.
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