The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury is drawing attention to just how much money goes through the pokies.
An Assembly Committee has heard that $178.9 million was lost on ACT pokies in the past financial year with more than a billion dollars cycling through the machines.
Media reports last week put the figure at $100 million, but following questioning from ACT Greens MLA, Shane Rattenbury, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commissioner confirmed that the actual figure was 80% higher.
“This is huge amount of money to lose through gaming machines in a twelve month period and should cause us all to stop and reflect,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“This means that around five hundred dollars was lost for every man, woman and child living in the ACT.
“We also know that much of those losses are attributable to problem gamblers, whose lives and families are being destroyed by their addiction.
Bear that in mind the next time Clubs ACT run a TV ad on how much they give to their chosen friends in the community.
[Photo by Dennis CC BY]