The recent Royal Commission into Crown Casino in Melbourne made some significant observations about the impact of gambling in our community.
Gambling, including pokies (or Electronic Gaming Machines [EGMs]), is regulated by the State Government. Council has an important role in preventing and minimising harm from gambling by assessing the social and economic impacts of EGMs in the municipality, advocating on behalf of the community, providing support for those impacted by harm from gambling, and scheduling activities and programs that provide alternatives to gambling.
Harms from gambling can seriously impact on individuals, leading to mental health effects; job loss and financial hardship; loss of social supports and family and relationship issues. But the harm doesn’t stop there. It can impact on family and friends, workplaces, and community groups. Families and friends of people harmed from gambling may experience neglect, domestic abuse, poverty, homelessness, stigma and social isolation. It’s an issue that is not limited to particular individuals; its impacts are non-discriminatory and it wreaks devastation across all parts of our community.
In 2019, losses from pokies across Maribyrnong totalled $58 million. That’s $610 for every person living in our community (population of 94,982) or $158,904 per day. In 2020, the losses in fell to $19.8 million with gambling venues closed between 16 March and 8 November due to the coronavirus. There are no figures for losses on other types of gambling.
Maribyrnong is one of the 22 Leadership Councils of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a national advocacy body with over 60 supporting organisations working together to prevent and minimise the harm caused by all forms of gambling. You may have seen some of the Alliance campaigns under the banner of “pokies play you” on social and traditional media.
Council has recently reviewed and updated its existing Gambling Policy, which aims to prevent and minimise harm from gambling across the municipality. The draft Reducing Harm from Gambling Policy 2021-2025 will be available for community comment later this month. Go to www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au to provide your input into this most important social policy issue.
