Klisaris: “The State has a duty to protect the victims of the gambling scourge”

Greek-Australian Mayor of Monash Paul Kliisaris has urged the Victorian Government to present stronger safeguards for gambling addicts, condemning what helium described arsenic a nonaccomplishment to support vulnerable members of the community.

His comments travel aft nationalist backlash implicit changes to Victoria’s planned cashless gaming trial crossed venues with poker machines (“pokies”) successful the municipalities of Monash, Greater Dandenong and Ballarat.

In precocious July, State Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Enver Erdogan announced that the aviator would tally from September to November 2025 crossed 43 venues equipped with physics gaming machines (EGMs).

Under the plan, players indispensable registry for a YourPlay card, which tracks however overmuch clip and wealth they spend connected pokies.

Initially, the authorities said the cards would necessitate players to acceptable mandatory nonaccomplishment limits earlier playing. However, arsenic reported this week by writer Costa Haritos (ABC News), the trial’s scope was softly changed, the limits are present optional, not compulsory.

Similarly, The Age‘s Chip Le Grand noted that wording connected authoritative documents shifted from “will request to acceptable nonaccomplishment limits” to “can acceptable nonaccomplishment limits”. Government sources aboriginal told the media this was “an guiltless drafting error” and that compulsory pre-commitment “was ne'er intended” during the pilot.

“This is exploitation, not recreation”

Mayor Klisaris told Neos Kosmos that this backflip is unacceptable.

“This is not entertainment, it’s the exploitation of radical who are addicted to gambling,” helium said.

“The authorities indispensable legislate stronger measures, conscionable arsenic it did with Crown Casino.”

While nary section information beryllium connected the specific interaction of gambling within Monash’s Greek community, Klisaris said his ain acquisition suggests “many members of the diaspora are victims of this scourge.”

“The State has a work to support them,” helium stressed.

Speaking separately to ABC News, Klisaris added:

“We are disappointed the Victorian Government did not see mandatory and binding nonaccomplishment limits successful their trial, and we bash not support it fixed this omission. We want to spot the reversal of the state government’s presumption connected the paper and however it’s implemented.”

Millions mislaid successful Monash alone

According to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), Monash residents mislaid $126 cardinal connected the municipality’s 955 pokies during the 2024-25 fiscal year – the third-highest nonaccomplishment successful the state.

Across Victoria, total pokies losses reached a grounds $3.14 cardinal past year. The three councils participating successful the trial relationship for much than 10 per cent of that figure.

Divided assembly responses

Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said she still welcomes the trial but was “disappointed” the compulsory constituent was dropped, calling it ” missed accidental to stitchery meaningful aboriginal insights into the imaginable harm-prevention benefits of mandatory carded play”.

Greater Dandenong Council precocious voted to proceed supporting the pilot. Mayor Jim Memeti said this would let the municipality “to amended power the outcomes of the trial, including binding limits being acceptable arsenic σύντομα arsenic possible.”

His municipality hosts 928 machines, with gamblers losing $141 cardinal past year. It is 1 of the state’s highest totals, equating to $387,000 a day, oregon $1,077 per adult.

Reform advocates: “A sham trial”

Reverend Tim Costello, caput of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, dismissed the aviator arsenic “a parody.”

“The technology already operates astatine Crown Casino,” helium said.

“This is simply a trial for show, so the authorities tin look to beryllium keeping its committedness of statewide implementation.”

Following the 2021 Royal Commission into Crown Melbourne, pre-commitment cards and mandatory limits are already required astatine the casino’s 2,628 machines.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Government is expected to cod $2.7 cardinal successful gambling-related taxes this fiscal year. A fig projected to emergence by much than 2 per cent annually.

The broader outgo of gambling harm

The aviator forms portion of a wider bundle of gaming reforms, including slower instrumentality spin rates and a semipermanent headdress connected the fig of EGMs until 2042.

Yet the κοινωνικά and economical toll of gambling continues to mount. A caller study by the Alliance for Gambling Reform, commissioned by the state, estimates the yearly outgo of gambling harm successful Victoria astatine $14 cardinal – treble that of 8 years ago.

Of that figure:

$5.2 cardinal relates to bankruptcies and different fiscal impacts

$3.3 cardinal to affectional and intelligence harm, including slump and termination (with gambling linked to 184 suicides implicit 8 years)

$2.5 cardinal to household breakdown and violence

$1.5 cardinal to mislaid productivity and education

$1.3 cardinal successful costs to state and section government

$289 cardinal to transgression and policing.

Only astir 1 successful ten Victorians plays pokies, yet those machines relationship for $6.7 cardinal of the total harm, much than each different ineligible forms of gambling combined.

“Who truly benefits?” asked Alliance CEO Martin Thomas, calling connected the authorities to accelerate betterment and marque pre-commitment cards mandatory crossed each pubs and clubs.

“The economical harm is lone fractional the story,” helium said. “Behind each dollar mislaid are families and communities torn apart.”