Vol. 28 No. 48
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
THE ART OF FOOTBALL: An exhibition featuring the work of AFL chief photographer Michael Willson is on display at Horsham Regional Art Gallery, showing moments of triumph, resilience and humanity from both men’s and women’s leagues. Willson, pictured with his photographs of Horsham’s Joel Freijah playing for the Western Bulldogs and former Carlton star Charlie Curnow, was in Horsham for the exhibition opening on Friday night. Story, page 3. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Electronic gaming ban BY COLIN MacGILLIVRAY
N
orthern Grampians Shire Council will ban tenant groups on council land from introducing electronic gaming machines under a new policy passed narrowly last week.
At Tuesday’s meeting the council voted to adopt a new lease and licence policy outlining the parameters governing leases and licences on council-owned or managed land. While the policy put forth by council officers made no reference to gaming machines, Cr Jenny Greenberger moved to add a clause banning longterm occupants of council properties from introducing machines or increasing the number already on
the premises. According to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, VGCCC, there was $2,712,610 spent on gaming machines at the two gaming venues in the Northern Grampians Shire from July to December last year. A total of $3,587,963 was spent at the two Ararat municipality venues during the same six-month period. The VGCCC has only a combined Northern Grampians-Ararat expenditure figure available for the period from July, 2025 to April, 2026 – which was $10,117,809. In the Horsham municipality, which has three venues, $11,541,306 was spent on gaming machines from July, 2025 to April, 2026. There are no gaming machines in the
Hindmarsh, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack, and Buloke shires. Cr Greenberger argued the move would be beneficial for the health and wellbeing of the municipality’s residents. “In the Northern Grampians Shire, the total amount of money spent on poker machines annually is in the order of $4.18-million,” she said. “Could you imagine what impact it would have on our small businesses if that amount of money was actually spent in small businesses rather than feeding poker machines? “I’m not a total wet blanket. I am not anti-gambling. Games of chance, or horses, or people running are a fairly even betting proposition. “However, there is lots of infor-
mation around these days about how electronic gaming machines are set up to encourage people to spend more and to lose more. “Poker machines … make you feel like you’re winning, but you’re actually losing.” Cr Karen Probst opposed adding a gaming-machine clause to the policy, saying she had put ‘a lot of thought’ into the issue. “Any long-term arrangement is going to have pros and cons associated with it, and I think each proposal to us should be decided on the overall merits,” she said. “Electronic gaming machines will be a disadvantage, I agree, but there will be other factors that may be advantages, and I think any future decisions
should be based on all the factors and not just on the gambling issue. “Addictions are a difficult issue, and if we ban the facilities where we have gaming machines I worry that that’s going to send a lot of people online, because addicts don’t just stop because the facility isn’t there – they will find other ways to feed the habit. “The other issue I have is that there are other addictions that cause as much, if not more harm, than electronic gambling machines – for example, alcohol. “If we make a stand on one addiction, why are we not making a stand on other addictions?” Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • National award for Indigenous festival • King’s Birthday honours • Silver medal for volleyballers Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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