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Ballarat residents lost more than $53 million on the pokies in the last financial year. The new data released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation shows the pokie expenditure for the 2014-15 financial year in Ballarat was $53,623,993.63 The figure relates to electronic machines within the City of Ballarat local government area and is a drop of almost $20,000 compared with the previous year. By far the biggest earner for pokie machine revenue is Zagame’s, taking in more than $11.5 million from 105 machines. The next highest is the Blue Bell Hotel which took in more than $5.5 million. Ballarat Salvation Army’s Captain Claire Emerton said her understanding was that a significant part of the losses were usually attributed to problem gamblers. “It makes me sad that that much is bring lost,” she said, “Absolutely it is a concern.” Ms Emerton said she was a strong advocate of limiting bets to $1 in an attempt to limit the huge loss figure. Despite the huge figure, City of Ballarat councillor Des Hudson said the city was at its maximum for pokie machines, meaning no more would be added. Cr Hudson said it was important to remember that gambling was a legitimate, legislated past time. Ballarat’s pokies expenditure in 2013-14 was $53,642,392, compared with $52,533,913 in 2012-13.

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