This year, Victorian lawmakers have taken great strides towards reducing problem gambling rates across the state. However, recent reports show that Victorian clubs are not particularly helpful when it comes to helping existing compulsive gamblers, as they fail to contribute adequate funding for support services.

According to The Age, revenue from pokies in Victoria clubs is distributed for a variety of uses across the state – but a relatively small portion is spending on problem gambling programs. While 50.3% is spent on the maintenance of sports facilities, 0.1% is spent on problem gambling support services.

Other services that receive relatively small amounts of funding are poverty relief (0.1%), housing for disadvantaged individuals (0.2%) and services for veterans (0.4%). Last year, sports facilities received $31.4 million while the problem gambling programs received just over $31 000. Subsidized goods and services received $11.4 million while any other sporting or recreational services received $9 million.

Services for poverty relief earned $41 000 and housing assistance received $107 000. ''This is a joke,” says Professor Charles Livingstone, a health lecturer and problem gambling researcher at Monash University. ''They should have to provide eight and a third [8.3] per cent to genuine community benefits; not a racetrack and not an elite training facility for AFL players”.

Gaming clubs and industry professionals defend their position. Several clubs have stated that they voluntarily provide funding for problem gambling support service. Out of 14 venues that do so, Morwell Club donated the most in 2013 with $8800 – which still pales in comparison to the amount of money that pokie funding provides to sports facilities.

Clubs Victoria representatives state that venues also do their part in the fight against problem gambling prevention by offering self-exclusion programs for at-risk players. According to the group’s executive director, Clubs Victoria members would consider donating more to gambling support programs if all gaming venues agree to do the same.

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.