Gambling Harm – City of Ballarat

As part of our commitment to support the health and wellbeing of Ballarat residents, we aim to reduce the harmful impact of gambling in our community.

Gambling has the potential to generate negative social and economic impacts for the player, their family and friends, and the wider community.

Gambling-related harm can include financial loss, relationship breakdown, intimate partner violence, increased prevalence of anxiety and depression, emotional or psychological distress, issues with work or study, criminal activity, reduced health and wellbeing, and suicide.

Whilst there are many different forms of gambling, a significant source of financial loss and harm in Ballarat comes from Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), also known as poker machines (pokies).

It is also theform of gambling over which Council has the greatest influence through its statutory roles and decision-making processes. Whilst the state-controlled nature of gambling regulation leaves Council with minimal regulatory influence, the City of Ballarat is committed to reducing the harms that result from gambling where possible.

In 2022/23, it is estimated that the Ballarat community lost $149.1 million to legal gambling, and our losses to pokies per day were $176,331. The money lost through pokies in our community last year could have fed 23,575 children for an entire year.

In 2018/19, $57,540,687 was lost to EGMs in Ballarat alone. With closures impacting gaming venues due to COVID-19, EGM expenditure was reduced to $43,713,216 in 2019/20 and $37,189,238 in the 2020/21 period.

Sports betting and internet gambling are also fast-growing, with participation in these forms of gambling increasing rapidly each year. The advertising and normalisation of sports betting and online gambling- and the community impacts from this- are of significant concern.

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Gambling Harm - City of Ballarat