This study analyses data collected on community wellbeing before and after the introduction of poker machines in a the City of Whittlesea, Victoria.

Overview

This paper examines the relationship between these financial windfalls and spending at electronic gaming machines (EGMs) using data from 62 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.

Industry claims that poker machine reform will cost $5 billion can only be described as fanciful, with a new analysis by The Australia Institute showing that the cost is likely to be between $171 million and $342 million.

The Coalition’s approach to problem gambling is about addressing the social, economic and policy challenges of gambling reform.