Harms associated with gambling include:

• Financial problems, bankruptcy and loss of assets;
• Productivity loss and work impacts;
• Relationship difficulties;
• Family violence;
• Emotional or psychological distress;
• Health problems;
• Criminal activity;
• Drug and alcohol abuse;
• Self-harm.

For these reasons, gambling can have major health impacts on the person gambling and those around them.

Studies have found that high-risk gambling can affect up to six others including friends, family and employers – meaning more than 17,000 Whitehorse residents could be negatively affected.

Young people (18-24 year olds)  and older people (55-65 year olds) are most at risk of gambling harm. Men are also at signficantly higher risk than women.

Of all the types of gambling, electronic gaming machines remain the highest spend activity and the area where the most harm occurs.

Online and sports gambling continues to increase significantly each year.  Average losses per Victorian adult for sports gambling have risen by more than 50% in the past five years.

The City of Whitehorse has six gaming venues and 431 electronic gaming machines (EGMs) i.e. ‘pokies’.

In 2023/24 more than $59.6 million was spent on gaming machines, which amounts to approximately $163,458 per day.  This translates to approximately $432 per adult and ranks Whitehorse 22nd out of 79 Victorian councils in terms of overall gambling losses, but it is the fifth highest in terms of losses per venue.

Whitehorse City Council supports the Alliance for Gambling Reform.  The Alliance is a collaboration of organisations with a shared concern about the deeply harmful and unfair impacts of gambling and its normalisation in Australian culture.  They campaign for reforms of the gambling industry that reduce the harm it causes.

Become part of the campaign and stay informed.

For information on how to reduce gambling harm, go to Gambling Help Online for live counselling, email support and self-help tools, or contact Gambler’s Help Eastern on 1300 00 3224.