Gambling and reforms
In Frankston City there are 519 electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in nine gaming venues. In the 2023-2024 financial year, a total of $65.7 million was lost in these machines, ranking Frankston City as the 17th highest local government area for player losses in Victoria with an average of $180,260 lost per day.
Gambling is a major public policy issue in Australia that affects the health and wellbeing of many in the community. Australians lose more than $32 billion a year on legal forms of gambling, this is more than any other country in the world (per capita).
Council’s overall goal and long-term commitment is to reduce the negative impacts of the use of EGMs on the Frankston City community. Council is committed to minimising risk and harm from gambling through:
- Strategic and community planning processes
- Representation of community interests to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
- Community capacity building
- Long term advocacy for gambling industry reform and accountability
- Support of community services for those who experience gambling related harm.
For more information, please review Frankston City Council’s Local Gaming Policy
The Frankston City Gaming Policy sits within our planning scheme, for more information the policy can be viewed here.
Advocacy
Frankston City Council is a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a collaboration of organisations campaigning for reforms to the gambling industry to reduce the harm it causes.
Research
The Australian Gambling Reasearch Centre (AGRC) conducts research on gambling behaviour, trends, harms, prevention, treatment and policy. Please visit Australian Gambling Research Centre | Australian Institute of Family Studies for more information and recent studies.
The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Gambling Research (CGR) is a multidisciplinary research centre specialised in generating a robust evidence-base for practice and policy to reduce gambling harm. Please visit the Centre for Gambling Research | ANU Centre for Social Research & Methods for more information and to see current and past projects.
Commissioned on behalf of the Victorian Government, the Victorian population gambling and health study 2023 is a large general population survey on gambling participation, gambling problems and gambling-related harm in Victoria in 2023. The report provides valuable information for government, community and industry to monitor, enhance and track the success of initiatives designed to tackle gambling-related harm.
Support Services
Gambler’s Help provides a range of confidential services for anyone impacted by gambling (your own or someone else’s). The helpline provides free support 24 hours per day.
If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment:
- Contact Gambler's Help Southern through the National Relay Service
- Give the Gambler’s Help Southern number 9575 5353 or Gambler’s Help Youthline number 1800 262 376 or any other number you wish to use.
- For more information, visit: National relay service.
Listen to this Southern FM podcast where they talk with Better Health Network's Claire Emmanuel about how gambling affects individuals, families and the community and how to access help.