$3.3m in pokies losses most in more than a decade

PUNTERS' losses on electronic gaming machines (EGM) in the Alpine Shire in the last financial year were the highest in more than a decade. According to publicly released figures from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, players' expenditure totalled $3,313,215 from July 2023 to June 2024. This was across the shire's two gaming venues at Myrtleford Savoy Sporting Club with 40 machines and Star Hotel Bright with 18 machines that collectively saw expenditure of $2,877,179, and one venue in Towong Shire with 10 machines accounting for the remaining spend of $436,036. Alpine Shire's expenditure is up from $3,082,046 the previous year and well above the lowest spend of $1,713,340 in 2020/21, and the biggest loss since $3,618,983 in 2010/11. Punters' expenditure at the gaming venues in Alpine Shire was fairly consistent throughout the financial year, with the biggest months being November ($307,294) and January ($307,152), and the lowest being October ($245,960) and September ($247,277). Elsewhere across the North East, gamblers' spending remained signficant. Wodonga city had the greatest spend in the North East, with punters' total loss of $10.782m on the pokies about $54k more than losses in 2022/23. Losses on Wangaratta's 154 gaming machines at four venues totalled $10,559,115 in 2023/24, which was down $315,000 on the previous year's figure of $10,874,190. Three venues across Benalla, including the Benalla Bowls Club, Benalla Golf Club and Royal Hotel, showed losses of $6.3m on 105 EGMs in 2023/24. Gamblers lost $1,652,829 on 40 EGMs at the sole venue located at Mansfield Golf Club in the Mansfield Shire last financial year. Strathbogie Shire's only venue, Nagambie Lakes Entertainment Centre, recorded patron expenditure of $2.332m from use of 32 machines. Indigo Shire still doesn't have any poker machines.

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