Poker Players in Victoria Posted Record Setting Poker Losses

On March 20th, 2008, poker machine enthusiasts in the state of Victoria have lost a record setting $1.35 billion in just a span of six months. The increasing poker machine losses place gamblers on the right path to step over the record of $2.56 billion, that was achieved before the beginning of the implementation of the smoking ban back in 2002. The records held by the states shows the six month losses that was achieve by Tatts and Tabcorp since July are $54.7 million, a lot larger compared with last year.

The overall total does not take into consideration the earnings from poker that are made by the Crown Casino. The biggest losers came from Monash where an astounding total of $66 million was lost from areas like Chadstone, Burwood, Clayton and Mulgrave. The area of Brimbank, which has Keilor, St. Albans and Sunshine, was the 2nd biggest gambling spenders with a total of $65 million. Gamblers in the area of Casey and the City of Dandenong each lost a total of $60 million, followed by Geelong on $59 million.

The Commission for Gambling Regulation in Victoria shows gamblers lose an astonishing $235 million all over the state in the month of August. The gambling spokesperson Michael O'Brien for the state opposition commented that it was very clear that poker circuit had recovered the pace that they have lost due to imposition of the smoking ban. O'Brien commented that fifty-two of about sixty-two council areas posted larger gaming losses in a span of six months like nineteen regions where the regional caps policy of the Government had been put into full use.

Poker losses in 2006 and 2007 improved to $2.543 billion -about $7 million in a single day-which come from low income areas. But based on the six month records, the 2007-2008 mark is predicted at $2.7 billion, the most substantial and biggest in the history of Victoria. The yearly state government gaming tax has now surpassed the $1.55 billion mark, which is composed mostly by poker revenues.

April 04, 2008
Jeremy Evans