More than $6000 an hour was spent on poker machines in Maribyrnong in the past financial year.
Latest figures from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation reveal that $52.9 million was blown on Maribyrnong’s 415 machines between July, 2013, and July this year – an average of $826 per adult and up on the 2012-13 figure of $52.7 million.
Brimbank recorded the highest expenditure in Victoria, its players shelling out $138.5 million.
In Maribyrnong, the highest spending was recorded at the Yarraville Club Cricket Club ($13.3 million) followed by the Ashley Hotel in Braybrook ($9.8 million) and Highpoint Taverner ($6.3 million).
But HealthWest prevention and advocacy co-ordinator James Dunne said there were some positive signs from the figures.
“Spending on poker machines in Maribyrnong is trending downwards from $911 a year per adult in 2011-12 to $826 in 2013-14,” he said.
“Although Maribyrnong still has the third-highest spending rates per adult in the state, it’s a positive sign that this has decreased by almost $90 per person over the past three years.”
Mr Dunne believes more work needs to be done to identify which groups are most vulnerable to problem gambling.
“Research suggests that people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have greater risk and experience greater harms from poker machines compared to other population groups,” he said.
