Dubbo country capital for poker machines

Mayor Greg Matthews is calling for a reduction in poker machine numbers after four Dubbo pubs were ranked among the 500 NSW hotels raking in $1.1 billion a year from punters, many of them unable to afford their losses.
The South Dubbo Tavern, Macquarie Inn, Amaroo Hotel and Westside Hotel are ranked 305, 344, 395 and 451 respectively, effectively making Dubbo the country capital for profitable pub poker machines.

The top 500 list is dominated by Sydney-based hotels with a sprinkling of country pubs including two in both Orange and Wagga Wagga, and one in Moree.

According to the Daily Telegraph the 500 hotels share more than two-thirds of the total pub poker machine revenue Statewide, equating to a $200 loss by every adult.

The top 25 sucked in $150 million alone, with all but two in Sydney’s west or southwest, it reported.

Mayor Matthews is one of many now calling for change in the light of the billion-dollar blow-out that some argue will grow as gamblers look to the pokies for a quick financial fix if the economy stumbles.

While he declined to comment specifically on the top 500 list, Cr Matthews said: “I’m always disappointed with the amount of money that goes into poker machines.

“I believe there should be tighter controls. We know there are problem gamblers and as a society we should be trying to help them.”

The mayor believes the State should be “reducing” the number of poker machines and making them “less accessible” through simple methods such as dress codes.

“If people have to go home and get changed ... they might not get caught on their way home from work,” Cr Matthews said.

Others are suggesting restricted hours of play and the removal of machines in problem areas where addicts and their families are forced into welfare queues.

But the Australian Hotels Association has hit back, highlighting programs and counselling services that aim to prevent problem gambling by “less than one per cent” of the population.

It has also rejected claims that pubs making profits out of poker machines pose a greater threat to social wellbeing than non-profit clubs with “three times” as many machines.