While Australians are well known for their love for pokies, they are also notoriously bad at generating any gambling wins. The reason for Victorians ranking among the biggest pokie losers is the huge amount that is wagered on different gambling products.
The latest reports of the Alliance for Gambling Reform revealed very concerning results. Just in March, the losses that Victorians have suffered in a single month reached $257.3 million. The worrying amounts that have been lost in March alone were the reason for calls for gambling reform.
March Gambling Losses Mark Record High Amounts in Vcitoria
If the reported amount of losses for March is proved to be true, this would mean a record-high level of gambling losses for a single month. The possible reason for the extreme gambling activity and the huge losses is the pent-up anticipation for gambling that was built up during the long period of restrictions due to the global pandemic.
As March marked the relaunch of easy access to poker machines, the gambling levels in Australia reached extreme highs, leading to the record pokies losses in Victoria. In a talk with The News Daily, professor Charles Livingstone, a gambling researcher at Monash University, confirmed that the ease of gambling restrictions was the reason for increased gambling activity among Victorians.
According to Livingston, as gamblers are no longer restricted by pandemic-related protocols, they tend to indulge in extensive gambling. While there are no official reports from other states, Livingston warned that this is not an exclusive case only in Victoria.
Number of Australian Gamblers Decreases Despite Higher Number of Gambling Losses
Even though gambling activity has increased due to the relaxed restrictions, the number of people gambling in Australia has not surged. In fact, data show that the number of active gamblers has decreased. Unfortunately, those who participate in gambling activities end up wagering excessive amounts. As the portion of gambling losses increases despite the decrease in the number of Australian gamblers, the issue of problem gambling in Australia is becoming a hot topic.
Tim Costello, head of Alliance for Gambling Reform, also spoke to The News Daily, claiming that both the government and officials have been ignoring the issue of problem gambling. He noted that due to their negligence, people in Australia are continuing to experience high levels of gambling-related harm.
Costello said that the most deprived communities in Australia are the ones predominately suffering from gambling-related harm. This can be clearly seen in the Thames-Coromandel District which hosts 20 gambling venues, offering 248 pokies collectively. Out of these 20 venues, six are based in areas where the most socially deprived communities in the district are located.
Some of Costello’s proposals for gambling reforms include imposing a bet limit of $1 per single spin as well as increasing the time slot between every spin. He also suggests introducing a cap on gambling losses that should not exceed $120 per hour. Such a measure can have a serious impact on the well-being of gamblers but it can also have a rather negative effect on the industry.
- Author
Daniel Williams
