Independent candidates call for gambling advertising ban as local pokies losses near $200 million

As punters across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs were putting their pay or social security through the slots, the Australian Hotels Association was quietly donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to political parties.

Nearly $200 million was lost on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs from July 1 to December 31 last year.

💰Just how much is Melbourne’s eastern suburbs losing to gambling machines?

The Monash LGA topped the list for losses across the eastern suburbs in the six-month period, with $64.2 million lost during on 955 pokies in 15 venues.

At the Century City Tavern in Glen Waverley gamblers lost $6.4 million in 65 EGMs, making it the most profitable venue in the LGA.

In the Knox LGA, pokies players lost $40.3 million in 771 EGMs across 11 venues. 

At the top of the list was Stamford Inn in Rowville, where players lost $7.5 million in 85 EGMs.

Next on the list was Maroondah LGA, with $33.1 million lost in 640 EGMs across eight venues. 

Croydon’s Dorset Gardens Hotel was not only the most profitable venue in Maroondah, but also across the eastern suburbs, with $10.5 million lost in 97 machines.

The Whitehorse LGA has 431 pokies in six venues, and across the six-month period players lost $32.1 million.

The Chase Hotel in Forest Hill saw the most losses across Whitehorse - $10.3 million in 90 EGMs. This equates to nearly $400,000 a week.

If there is a competition you’d rather lose, this is probably it, so congratulations to Manningham LGA, which had the “smallest” loss of all the LGAs. Over the six-month period people donated $30 million via 462 EGMs in six venues. 

The greatest losses were at the Shoppingtown Hotel in Doncaster, where pokies players parted with $9.5 million, tipped into 87 EGMs.

The staggering figures are in contrast with new data from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which shows that gambling, betting and hotel organisations made over $1 million in donations to the major political parties in 2024.

The records reveal gambling companies and venues that benefit from gaming spent up big with the major parties. The Australian Hotels Association donated $483,189, Tabcorp $193,000, Sportsbet $163,000 and The Lottery Corporation $115,000. Clubs also kicked the tin.

All of this data is publicly available on the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission website.

🗳️ What are our elected officials doing about gambling losses?

The Allan government introduced a new bill into the Victorian Parliament last November, which would require patrons to insert a player card to operate an EGM. A pilot program is slated to start mid-2025 at selected venues, and phased in gradually. 

The government also reduced the maximum players can feed into a machine at one time from $1,000 to $100.

Monash Council released and adopted its Public Health Approach to Gambling Harm Policy document in November 2022, outlining plans to oppose applications for new EGMs licences, increases in EGMs or transfer of EGMs; advocate for the elimination of sports betting advertising; and advocate for the reduction of the maximum bet on EGMs to $1 per spin.

👂 Eastern suburbs candidates speak out against political donations from those behind gambling

Independent candidate for Casey, Claire Ferres Miles, said gambling was a “social cancer”.

“It was noticeable to me during the 2024 Paris Olympics the absence of gambling advertising, reinforcing to me that we have been indoctrinated to believe gambling advertising is normal, it is not,” she told the Eastern Melburnian.

“I support a ban on gambling advertising, removing up to one million gambling ads from our TVs and radio airwaves each year, and putting a full stop to online grooming of our children by gambling companies.”

Greens candidate for Deakin, Amy Mills, said the Greens had not, and would not, accept donations from gambling, betting and hotel organisations.

“As a Greens representative and a healthcare and community health professional I see the government as our most powerful public health entity,” she told the Eastern Melburnian. “Gambling in this country is a public health crisis and causes considerable public harm.

“Accepting money from any corporation that contributes to this is abhorrent and shows a total lack of understanding of the role of government.”

Independent candidate for Deakin Jess Ness said she also supported a complete ban on gambling advertising and would advocate for tougher regulation on sports betting, poker machine operators and addictive game design that targets children and adolescents.

She also indicated that she had not and would not accept donations from gambling or betting organisations.

The Eastern Melburnian reached out to all other candidates and incumbent MPs, but did not receive a response prior to publication.

The Albanese government talked a big game on reducing gambling advertising, but after nearly a full term of government it has little to show, and has since gone cold on the idea. A 2023 inquiry recommended online gambling ads be banned within a three-year period.

If you or someone you know needs support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, visit the National Gambling Helpline website, or call 1800 858 858.