The Victorian Government in Australia has announced more than 400 poker machines will be removed from areas where people are most at risk of problem gambling.
In a report from the
Melbourne Age Gaming Minister John Pandazopoulos has told parliament the Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority will cut the number of gaming machines in the state by more than 7 per cent.
Mr Pandazopoulos said that over the next five years 406 poker machines would be removed from pubs and clubs in four areas nominated by the government as most at risk of harm from problem gambling - Maribyrnong, Greater Dandenong, Bass Coast and Latrobe. A fifth region, Darebin, will have its number of machines capped at the present level.
The cuts mean that in Maribyrnong region almost one in every nine machines will be removed, in Greater Dandenong about one in 11 will disappear, in Bass Coast almost one in seven will be taken and in Latrobe almost one in 10 will be removed.
The move has outraged gaming machine giant Tattersalls and venue operators, while the Opposition said the small size of the cut revealed the government's "tough-on-gaming" rhetoric as a sham.
But Mr Pandazopoulos said it was unprecedented for a govenrment to remove gaming machines, and the move demonstrated its commitment to tackling problem gambling.
With average player losses per machine running at almost $80,000 last year, the removal of 406 machines could potentially reduce gambler losses by more than $32million.
Such a reduction would cut state government revenue from gambling by $10 million, but Mr Pandazopoulos said the government had always expected to lose revenue from its problem gambling measures.
The minister said he had directed the Casino and Gaming Authority to implement the cuts in such a way as to maintain the current proportions of machines owned by Tattersalls and Tabcorp, and the distribution of machines between hotels and clubs.
He ruled out the possibility that machines removed from one area would be "dumped" in another, saying any application for more machines would have to meet stringent social and economic benefit tests.
Tattersalls spokesman John Harris said the announcement took the operator by surprise and "just adds to the industry uncertainty across the board".
Victorian chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association Alan Giles warned the reduction could cost jobs and cause businesses to close down.
But Mr Pandazopoulos said the machines would be removed in consultation with venue operators to ensure it was done fairly.
Tabcorp spokewoman Tricia Wunsch said the operator did not expect the cutbacks to have a significant effect. The move was applauded by Interchurch Gambling Task Force spokesman Ray Cleary.
