Victoria council demands pokie limit

The council is pushing for a new regulation that would establish a $1 pokie bet limit.

Australia.- An initiative to reduce the bet limit on poker machines (pokies) to AUS$1 has received renewed support, as 18 municipal councils have signed up to the Alliance for Gambling Reform for the coming financial year.

The councils unveiled on Tuesday a list of policies that include dropping maximum bets on the Australian State’s 27,000 pokies from AUS$5 to AUS$1, as well as cutting late-night trading hours for pubs with pokies rooms, Sydney Morning Herland reported. The councils argue that the move would help to “significantly reduce rising levels of gambling harm” in the community.

Figures to be released this week are expected to show that the current government has experienced the highest rise in state pokey losses in more than ten years. The projections show that losses will be approximately US$60 million higher to almost US$1.9 billion in the 12 months to June 30th. “This is a crisis,” said Moreland mayor John Kavanagh, “and we are here to make sure reducing poker machine harm is a crucial state election issue.”

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said: “The Andrews government’s complete lack of will to put people ahead of gambling profits means local councils have no choice but to take their own action. It’s no wonder these councils are fed up with the inaction from their state government.”