By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Opponents against Zagame’s Berwick proposal for 10 extra poker machines have taken heart from a recent game-changing decision by the state’s gambling regulator.
The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation – which will rule on the Berwick Springs hotel submission – refused an application for 20 more machines at Noble Park Football Social Club on 21 July.
The outcome delighted the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Tom Cummings, who noted that many of the venue’s purported economic benefits were “shot down” by the VCGLR.
In the past, the commission would have been more persuaded by ‘benefits’ such as extra community contributions, capital works and jobs, he said.
Mr Cummings, of Berwick, thought the alliance mobilised community opposition in this case and several other recent victories, such as a scuttled venue in Whittlesea.
“I think what we’re seeing is a lot of community involvement in opposing these sort of applications,” Mr Cummings said.
“People are getting motivated and mobilised to put pen to paper, to sign a petition.
“There seems to be a groundswell.”
In the decision, VCGLR acting chairwoman Helen Versey put “considerable weight” on problem gambling harms in one of the state’s lowest socio-economic areas.
Ms Versey also deemed the extra machines would lead to a “more acute risk of an increase in gambling related crime and social disturbance”.
This was not mitigated by the social club’s promise to fund extra addiction counselling in Greater Dandenong, she found.
Mr Cummings said while Casey was more socio-economically advantaged, it was still flooded with more than 900 poker machines and 13 venues.
“Harm is harm. If you’ve got people funnelling through using those machines, it doesn’t matter where they live.”
Victorian Local Governance Association gambling policy officer George Darroch also noted the VCGLR’s stricter interpretation of the “no net detriment” test.
A factor was recent research linking social harms to problem gambling, such as a correlation with higher rates of family violence, Mr Darroch said.
“They’ve changed their interpretation quite dramatically and it’s more in line with community expectations.”
In a submission to the VCGLR, Zagame’s has listed one of the community benefits as funding a $2.3 million renovation of the hotel with a larger bistro and children’s play area.
The venue would also build a ‘community service booth’ with a telephone to access a taxi or gamblers’ help services, if the proposal was successful.
Zagame’s also pledged to create five more full-time jobs and ramp up its donation program to sports and welfare groups to $100,000 a year.
The extra 10 machines would have a “relatively marginal” impact on problem gamblers, according to the submission.
The venue was not in a low socio-economic area, nor near schools or supermarkets, it argued. However nearby suburbs Berwick and Narre Warren South had higher than average levels of housing stress.
Zagame’s expects to reap more than $1.5 million a year from the extra machines. Its 95 machines made more than $17.8 million in 2016-’17.
In the same year, $127.1 million went down pokie slots in Casey. It is the second highest council area in Victoria.
A date has yet to be set for the VCGLR hearing.
