Parra News May 21 2024

LOCAL NEWS
One-armed bandits
Local residents losing more money on pokies than last year
EMILY CHATE
Parramatta and Cumberland
locals lost more on
poker machines in 2023
than they did the previous year.
New data analysis from Wesley
Mission highlights that NSW
residents lost $8.1 billion to
poker machines in 2023, slightly
up on 2022 figures.
The Parramatta Local Government
Area (LGA) saw a net loss of
$244,323,319 in 2023, up 3.5 per
cent on the previous year.
The Cumberland Local
Government Area (LGA) saw a
net loss of $473,487,489 in 2023,
up 2.4 per cent on the previous
year.
It puts both LGAs in the top 10
in New South Wales for poker
machine losses.
There was a 9.7 per cent
increase in Parramatta locals
losing money to the pokies in
pubs.
“We’ve seen a growing increase
in the amount of money that
is lost in pubs,” said General
Manager of Wesley Mission, Jim
Wackett.
Parramatta and Cumberland residents are losing a lot of money on
poker machines.
“Pubs have year on year
increased the amount of money
that [is] lost through their
machines, but they’ve also
increased as a percentage on the
total losses in NSW as well.
“So, while pubs in NSW only
have 25 per cent of all poker
machines, they now account
for over 44 per cent of the losses
and that’s going up and up every
year.”
Wackett said that NSW has
seen an increase in younger
demographics frequently playing
poker machines.
“This is one of the really
disturbing things… because
poker machines have been so
common and so ubiquitous in
NSW for so many years now it is
almost seen as a rite of passage
for some people when they turn
18,” Wackett said.
“You know, you go to the pub,
[and] you buy a drink, [and] you
go play the pokies.
“That’s the first step on a slippery
slope, these machines are
designed to addict.”
Wesley Mission is strongly
advocating for gambling reforms
to reduce the amount of money
lost across NSW.
“We’ve been pushing now,
for a couple of years, a range of
reforms,” Wackett said.
“As Wesley Mission as an
organisation we deal every
day with people enduring the
impacts of gambling harm,
whether that’s through our
family and community services,
through Lifeline, through our
financial counselling services
[or] through our homelessness
services.”
Wesley Mission is advocating
for the reforms to include
mandatory cashless gaming,
a state-wide self-exclusion
register, and a reduction in the
number of hours EGMs are
available for use.
For gambling help, call 1800
858 858 for 24/7 free and anonymous
support.
Ban overturned in
fiery meeting
Story continued from » p. 1
“I will never apologise for representing the
views of local residents who approach me,
that is my job, that is my responsibility, and
Australia would be a better place if more
elected representatives actually took on the
views and opinions of its local constituents.
“I’m personally very disappointed in some of
my colleagues tonight.”
Council confirmed the same-sex parenting
book that Christou claimed he found in the
children’s section, which ultimately led to the
ban, had only been rented out once.
When the motion to rescind the ban was put
to a vote it passed with 12 votes to two.
The Councillors who voted to rescind the
book ban were Huang, Sabrin Farooqui,
Diane Colman, Suman Saha, Ola Hamed,
Glen Elmore and Lake.
Councillors Mohamad Hussein, Paul
Garrard, Helen Hughes, Greg Cummings and
Michael Zaiter, who all originally voted in
favour of the ban, changed sides to support
the new motion. Only Christou and Eddy
Sarkis voted for the ban to remain.
The book Steve Christou alleges he found in
the children’s section of the library.
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Tuesday, May 21, 2024 « parra news 5