Ballarat's gambling loss up to $100m a year

BALLARAT residents could be losing up to $100 million a year to gambling, according to national averages.The Productivity Report released during the week found that Australians lose a total of $4.7 billion each year to gambling, with an average of $1500 per person.Chairman of the Ballarat Responsible Gambling Committee Des Hudson said, although the figures were alarming, Ballarat numbers are well below the national average."That amount ($1500 per person) is above previous records we've collected in Ballarat," Councillor Hudson said."The numbers have continued to rise in recent years but lately we have seen an average between $600 and $700 per person."The committee, which has been in place for more than five years, aims to reduce the amount of problem gambling losses across the Ballarat region.The Victorian Local Governance Association president Heinz Krutz welcomed the report and said the recommended changes are a step in the right direction.The recommendations include a $1 bet limit on pokies, a limit on ATM withdrawals at gaming venues and a $20 note limit on gaming machine feeders."New Prime Minister Julia Gillard is ideally placed to take a harder line and to immediately embrace the Productivity Commission's recommendations," Cr Krutz said.