FAQ

The average loss per adult in Victoria in 2017–2018 was $1163 and the average loss per adult in Australia was $1292. These amounts are calculated at population level. However, we know a significant percentage of the population does not gamble. The average loss per participating adult would therefore be much higher than these figures.

Pokies continued to result in higher losses than other gambling products in 2017–2018, in both Australia ($12.52 billion) and Victoria ($2.69 billion). Australian adults lost an average of $650 on pokies and Victorian adults lost an average of $539.

Sports betting resulted in the largest percentage increase in losses in 2017–2018. Compared to the previous year, sports betting losses rose by 16.3 per cent in Australia and 13.5 per cent in Victoria.

Sports betting losses are still low compared to other gambling products, but continue to increase significantly each year. Average losses per Victorian adult have increased by nearly 50 per cent in the past five years.

The figures for Victoria only show player losses recorded at Victorian TABs or with bookmakers licenced in this state. Bets placed with online bookmakers licenced outside Victoria are not recorded as Victorian losses. Therefore, the actual losses are likely to be higher.

In 2017–2018, race betting losses rose in Australia but fell in Victoria. It is likely Victorians are increasingly using online bookmakers licensed outside Victoria instead of Victorian TABs for race betting.

Lotto losses increased in 2017–2018, rising by 5 per cent in Australia and by 3.1 per cent in Victoria. This is a reversal of decreases recorded in 2016–2017.

Casino losses (table games and pokies) increased significantly in 2017–2018, rising by 6.5 per cent in Australia and by 14 per cent in Victoria. This is a reversal of decreases recorded in 2016–2017.

https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/gambling-victoria/expenditure-on-gambling-victoria-and-australia/

Kingston continues to suffer significant financial losses from EGMs having remained in the top 10 of all Victorian LGA’s for losses on EGMs since 2010.

2018/19 pokies data for City of Kingston

• 16 gaming venues. 2^nd highest of all metro Councils 
• 902 pokies (74% of allowable machines). 6^th highest of all metro Councils
• $85,701,350.43 spent on pokies equivalent to $234,798 per day. 8^th highest of all metro Councils
• $663 per adult lost on poker machines. 8^th highest of all metro Councils
• 6.98 EGMs per 1000 adults. 5^th highest of all metro Councils

It is estimated that 70.1% of Victorian adults gamble and 17.8% of these experience gambling harm. When applied to Kingston 16,140 adults are currently experiencing gambling harm.

The Victorian Gambling Foundation-funded Study of gambling and health in Victoria found 70.1 per cent of Victorians gamble, most of whom (82.2 per cent) show no signs of harm from their gambling.

This means almost one in five (around 550,000) Victorians who gamble may be experiencing harm from gambling.

In addition, 2.8 per cent of people surveyed as part of the study reported experiencing harm as a result of someone else's gambling in the preceding 12 months. When applied to the Victorian adult population, this is around 122,500 people. Of course, this excludes children, who may also be affected by gambling harm.

The researchers found gambling harm in Victoria comprises:

·  50.2 per cent harm from low-risk gambling

·  34.5 per cent harm from moderate-risk gambling

·  15.2 per cent harm from problem gambling.

For more information visit:

https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/gambling-victoria/gambling-harm-victoria

If we extrapolate the Victorian gambling harm rates and apply these to the Kingston adult population (129,349 adults at 30 June 2018) we can provide the below estimations.

Statistic	When extrapolated it is equivalent to
70.1% of Victorian adults gamble	90,674 Kingston adults gamble
17.8% of Victorians who gamble experience gambling harm	16,140 Kingston adults who gamble experience gambling harm
2.8% of Victorians experience harm as a result of someone else’s gambling	3,622 Kingston adults experience harm as a result of someone else’s gambling
50.2 per cent of gambling harm in Victoria is from low-risk gambling	8,102 Kingston adults experience gambling harm from low-risk gambling
34.5 per cent of gambling harm in Victoria from moderate-risk gambling	5,568 Kingston adults experience gambling harm from moderate-risk gambling
15.2 per cent of gambling harm in Victoria is from high-risk gambling.	2,453 Kingston adults experience gambling harm from high-risk gambling
High-risk gambling can affect up to 6 others	Up to 14,718 Kingston adults are affected by someone’s else’s high-risk gambling
Moderate-risk gambling can affect up to 3 others	Up to 16,704 Kingston adults are affected by someone’s else’s moderate-risk gambling
Low-risk gambling can affect up to 1 other	Up to 8,102 Kingston adults are affected by someone’s else’s low-risk gambling

If you need a bit of help to get back on track, support is close at hand, it's confidential and free.

Get immediate, professional help any time of the day, find a local counselling service or have a regular check in with someone who's been in your situation. Face to face, over the phone or online – we can help.

https://gamblershelp.com.au/get-help/find-support/

Personal Stories

https://gamblershelp.com.au/learn-about-gambling/personal-stories/  

Collectively through the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Councils are advocating for tougher laws that make poker machines less addictive, and less dangerous; and changes in Victorian law that would give communities a real say over poker machines in their communities. These reform positions are calling for:

• Changes to the design of pokies to make them less deceptive and addictive.
• Cessation of donations by the gambling industry to state and federal politicians.
• A reduction in the dependency of AFL clubs on pokies as a source of revenue.
• Prohibition of sports betting advertising on television during G-rated viewing times.
• $1 maximum bets, coupled with a maximum limit upon pokies losses of $120 per hour.
• Wider role for councils and local communities in deciding gambling applications
  

A variety of studies have found that gambling losses are largely sustained by those who can least afford them: people on lower incomes, in manual employment, those without paid work and people of limited educational attainments. Inversely, others in paid work, with more skilled occupations, higher incomes or educational attainments, by contrast, generally spend less on gambling.

This tendency is mirrored by differences in EGM gambling losses among various localities in Victoria, where the most disadvantaged communities tend to incur the highest gambling losses.

Council and our community are calling on the Victorian Government to make urgent changes to gaming laws to reduce the devastating impact of poker machines in Kingston. Council has joined forces with the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a national organisation working to minimise harm caused by poker machines.

For more information about the campaign visit

https://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/Community/Advocacy-Projects/Open-Advocacy/Gambling

Sign the petition or write to your local MP

https://www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/victoria_action

Sign Kingston’s petition

https://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/Community/Advocacy-Projects/Open-Advocacy/Gambling

Support someone

Gambling issues are often easy to hide. People who gamble compulsively may feel ashamed and fear being rejected. Recovering from a gambling problem isn't easy. It takes hard work and a lot of encouragement. Many people with a gambling addiction can turn their lives around because of support from people close to them.

https://gamblershelp.com.au/support-someone

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) is the independent statutory authority that regulates Victoria's gambling and liquor industries.

Local government authorities play a role in the administration of gaming and liquor laws. A local government authority may:

• consider and issue planning permits for licensed premises
• make a submission for assessment of applications for approval of gaming machines, or a gaming premises
• initiate disciplinary proceedings against licensees who are non-compliant of their licence conditions.

The local government authority must notify the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (the Commission) of its intention to make a submission to address the economic and social impact the proposed gaming machines or premises may have on the local area.

If the authority indicated that they intend to lodge a submission., they must complete and submit the Economic and social impact submission application form to the Commission within 60 days of receiving notice of an application or amendment request from the venue operator.

For more information visit:

https://www.vcglr.vic.gov.au/about-us/regulatory-structure/local-government-authorities

As stated in the Gambling Regulation Act 2003, club venue operators are required to prepare and lodge an audited community benefit statement with the VCGLR for every financial year in which they receive gaming machine revenue.

A community benefit statement verifies whether the community benefit provided by the club is equal to at least 8.33 per cent of its net gaming machine revenue. Otherwise the club must pay tax on losses.

The club can claim any of the following activities as community benefits:

Class A purposes and activities – Direct community benefits

• Donations, gifts and sponsorships
• Sporting or recreational purposes

Class B purposes and activities – Indirect community benefits

• Operating costs (e.g. wages, power bills)
• Capital expenditure

Class C purposes and activities – Miscellaneous

• Provision of responsible gambling measures and activities (excluding those required by law)
• Auditing of CBS

To see what your local venue has claimed visit this link: https://apps.vcglr.vic.gov.au/CA256F650009C886/wCBSbyVenue?OpenView&RestrictToCategory=cbs2019&Count=1000&Year=2019

Under Section 3.6.6 (2)(c) and 3.6.12(1)&(1A) of the Gambling Regulation Act (2003), an 8.33% tax is imposed upon gambling revenue from hotels, in addition to the 24% levied upon all hotel and club venues. This may be higher based on the monthly average-per-EGM player loss below.

Club venue operators

Tax is a function of monthly average-per-EGM player loss. For that part of the monthly average player loss which:

• does not exceed $2,666, the tax rate is 0%
• exceeds $2,666 but does not exceed $12,500, the tax rate is 46.7% exceeds $12,500, the tax rate is 54.2%.

Hotel venue operators

Tax is a function of monthly average-per-EGM player loss.

For that part of the monthly average player loss which:

• does not exceed $2,666, the tax rate is 8.33%
• exceeds $2,666 but does not exceed $12,500, the tax rate is 55.03%
• exceeds $12,500, the tax rate is 62.53%
  

As prescribed by the legislation the Community Support Fund receives revenue generated from electronic gaming machines in hotels.

The Victorian Government then allocates the remaining funding to a range of portfolio departments. Funded initiatives must be consistent with the purposes of the legislation described below:

• programs to tackle problem gambling are the first call on the fund, including payments into the Responsible Gambling Fund;
• drug education, treatment and rehabilitation;
• financial counselling and support for families in crisis;
• youth programs;
• sport and recreation;
• arts and tourism;
• support advancement of the community as determined by the Minister; and
• costs associated with administering the CSF.

In 2018/19 a total of $146.2 million was collected and disbursed accordingly:

• Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (DJCS) - $38.4 million
• Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services Program (DHHS) - $85.0 million
• Community Advancement Fund (DPC) - $2.0 million
• Community Facilities Funding Program (Sport & Rec) - $2.4 million
• Reclink ActiVic program (Sport & Rec) - $1.0 million
• Keep Victoria Beautiful Awards – Tidy Towns and Sustainable Cities (DELWP) - $0.177 million
• Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law Program – $0.48million
• ANZAC Day Revenue to Victorian Veterans Fund (Community Services) - $0.266 million

For more information visit

https://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/community-support-fund/community-support-fund-financial-overview-2017-18

Gaming venues: https://geomaps.vcglr.vic.gov.au/Gaming/

Keno/wagering venues: https://geomaps.vcglr.vic.gov.au/KenoWagering/

Sports betting advertising prevalence and normalisation of gambling

Gambling advertising is everywhere and it's changing the way young people see sport. Excessive sports betting advertising can make it seem like gambling is normal, that sport is all about the odds, not the game. When something feels normal, the risks are often not considered, and people can end up experiencing harm. Young people can be especially at risk of harm from gambling.

Youth gambling key facts

• Typical results of studies involving adolescents show that between 60 and 80 per cent of young people aged 13–17 years gamble at least once a year. This includes gambling with friends, playing lottery tickets, raffles and sweeps.
• A qualitative study of kids aged 8–16 years who watch sport found that 75 per cent think betting on sport is normal.
• 75 per cent of kids aged 8–16 can name one or more sports betting companies, and 25 per cent can name four or more, according to this study.
• Around 20 per cent of young people have participated in sports betting
• One in five adults with a gambling problem started gambling before 18 years of age (the Victorian Gambling Study).