City of Maroondah Mayor, Councillor Nora Lamont, has welcomed the news that an application by the Collingwood Football Club to increase the number of gaming machines at its Coach & Horses Hotel has been refused by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR).
The application was to increase the number of gaming machines at the Ringwood venue from 80 to 88.
“The refusal by the VCGLR for the additional gaming machines at the Coach & Horses is a wonderful result for the Maroondah community,” Cr Lamont said.
“In response to the application, Council submitted an Economic and Social Impact Submission to the VCGLR, which included the views and concerns of the Maroondah community which were collated by Council through an online survey,” Cr Lamont said.
“While Council recognises that not all gamblers in Maroondah are deemed ‘problem gamblers’, it’s important to stress that moderation is the key to keeping gambling under control,” Cr Lamont said.
“It is vital that we, as a community, speak out against a further proliferation of gaming machines in Maroondah, and the subsequent gambling expenditure that would result,” Cr Lamont said.
“Council has developed a Gaming Policy which sets out its position on electronic gaming in Maroondah, with a focus on problem gambling and the location and operation of gaming machines.”
Currently, spending on gaming machines in Maroondah is estimated at $66.7 million per year, with $4.5 million of this spent at the Coach & Horses.
The applicant estimated that the additional eight gaming machines would increase spending on pokies at the venue by $400,000 per annum, with most of that expenditure transferred from other venues, resulting in a net increase in expenditure in Maroondah of $148,000 per year.
In handing down its decision the Commission noted that the likely detriment the additional machines would have on the wellbeing of the Maroondah community outweighed the likely benefits to the municipality.
“Council does not support the further expansion of electronic gaming machines in the municipality and will continue to strongly advocate for fewer gaming machines in Maroondah and surrounding municipalities,” Cr Lamont said.
