Epping, Gladstone Park, Bundoora and Werribee residents had big holes in their pockets as they were among punters who lost a total of $2.5 billion on poker machines in Victoria last year.
About $4750 a minute was lost on active machines at 512 venues throughout the state.
Though this is the second-lowest amount lost on the machines in seven years, Epping Plaza Hotel remained the venue where the most money went into poker machines, with punters losing $21.8 million compared with $21 million last year.
Other venues where pokies losses exceeded $17 million included Gladstone Park Hotel, Keysborough Hotel, Bundoora Taverner, Kealba Hotel, the Plough Hotel and the Werribee Plaza Tavern.
Victorians plunged almost $14 million more into pokies in 2013/14 than they did in 2012/13, with total losses rising by 0.6 per cent.
However, in 2012/13 pokies spending hit a 10-year low of $2.49 billion, plummeting 7.1 per cent from the near $2.7 billion lost on the machines in 2011/12.
Victorian InterChurch Gambling Taskforce chairman Mark Zirnsak said ATM bans were a factor in the drop in losses over the past two years but said more needed to be done to combat problem gambling.
“We do need to see further measures to rein in the harm,” Dr Zirnsak said.
“There is a need for more measures to reduce harm like a one dollar bet limit, a system that allows people to set themselves enforceable limits on their losses and staff intervening when the person has a clear gambling problem.”
He said some clubs had introduced measures to get around the ATM ban, including cash-out services called POSconnect machines and more aggressive advertising. But he said in some cases any increases could simply be due to more patrons coming through the doors.
An Age analysis of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation data found 257 venues recorded a drop in losses on poker machines compared to 2012/13, while at 251 venues the total amount poured into the machines increased.
