A $30 million increase in spending on Victorian poker machines in a month has sparked fears some of the federal government's stimulus package is being gambled away.
In December last year, following the release of the federal government's first economic stimulus package, pokies spending in Victoria jumped to $250 million, up from $220 million in the same month in 2007, The Age newspaper reports.
The industry watchdog, The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation has warned that "extra government payments can lead to customers or club members spending extra money gambling", the newspaper said.
"Gambling providers are encouraged in these times to watch for signs of problem gambling among patrons."
The commission told the newspaper the warning was timed to coincide with the latest stimulus package amid fears it would lead to another spike in gambling spending.
Victoria will receive about $3 billion of the latest $12 billion stimulus package, with the rollout of $900 cash payments that just began in April.
The office of Treasurer Wayne Swan declined to comment on the cash payments and poker machine spending.
But a federal government spokesman said it was "very confident that the vast majority of Australians are spending responsibly, and that spending is helping to support jobs".
World Vision chief executive Tim Costello said pokies spending, not jobs, increased with each package.
"The worst social and economic outcomes are being encouraged and the social outcomes are communities fragmenting, families fragmenting, crime rising because of what happens when you play the pokies. It is not just you blow $950, you keep playing and lose horrendously," he said.
Front page
RSS Feed