Hotel bid for more pokies

By Callan Date
THE $107 million lost on Casey pokies last financial year is likely to increase if a Berwick hotel’s bid for 20 more machines is granted.
Castello’s Berwick Springs Hotel has applied to increase its pokie machine quota from 65 to 85 in a move that has raised a mixed response from Casey councillors and community leaders.
More than $8 million was lost in the month of February at Casey’s 12 pokie venues, with a total of 879 machines operating almost around the clock.
Last financial year each pokie in Casey, on average, took just over $122,000 from punters.
Should Castello’s be granted an extra 20 machines, an additional $2.44 million is expected to be lost every year.
The Clyde Road hotel has applied to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR) for the increase – with members of the public able to voice their concern to the commission by 16 April.
One man who will be doing exactly that is Casey councillor Steve Beardon.
Cr Beardon said he was devastated that the hotel had applied for more pokies.
He said he would be urging all councillors to follow his lead and campaign for no more pokies in Casey.
“I don’t see any positives coming out of this increase at all,” Cr Beardon said.
He said he had investigated the Castello’s application and had been advised from council officers that Casey would be obtaining independent advice on the impact assessment of the submission.
“I’m running community kitchens in Cranbourne and we are getting 250 people there who are really struggling,” Cr Beardon said.
Many of these were struggling because of the pokies in Casey.
Councillor Lorraine Wreford said she would evaluate each application for additional pokies on its own merits.
“It’s only an issue for me where there is a high density of pokies in relation to the actual population,” Cr Wreford said.
“I’m totally against any more pokies in the Cranbourne area. The area is classified as a low socio-economic area and there is already a high proportion of gaming machines.”
Deputy mayor Kevin Bradford was also cautious of any potential pokie increase in Casey.
“My stance is we have enough in the city as it is,” he said.
“A small increase in that particular area of the city may be acceptable due to the ever-increasing population but it is something I am extremely mindful of.”
Cr Bradford said there would be no chance he would support any additional new machines in the Cranbourne area until the population increased significantly.
Castello’s was contacted several times but did not return calls before the News went to press.