Since poker machine gambling was introduced into Victoria in 1992, no government intervention has had a lasting impact on the rate of losses.

While the revelation by The Courier that $28.172 million was lost on poker machines from July to December last year was disappointing, the real scandal is that, according to the Australian Productivity Commission (2010), we can assume 42 to 75 per cent of those losses came from people who were experiencing moderate to severe gambling harm.

The effects of harmful gambling on families and communities are wide-ranging, but commonly involve extreme financial hardship.

Financial hardship plays out in a whole range of ways, including not being able to pay bills, buy food or send children on school excursions, borrowing money from family and friends, losing the family home or retirement savings, bankruptcy and so on.

Other effects include depression, stress and anxiety, suicide, family violence, relationship breakdown, crime and job loss.

It is not a pretty picture and, as the list of effects demonstrates, the damage of poker machines is not confined to those experiencing harmful gambling; it ripples out and touches many within our community.

As City of Ballarat councillor Des Hudson noted in The Courier article (March 12), counselling for those experiencing gambling harm is an important service.

But as anyone who has direct or indirect experience of gambling harm will know, counselling is not a quick-fix.

Even with counselling, many people struggle for years with gambling issues.

It is far better if gambling harms are prevented in the first place.

The only way to achieve this is to make using a poker machine safer.

Introducing a maximum $1 bet limit will mean gamblers can lose no more than $120 per hour. This would also significantly help those currently experiencing gambling harm.

Harmful poker machine gambling is a significant public health issue.

We need our politicians on all sides of politics to step up and tackle this issue together.

Contact your local state members of parliament and demand they get behind the $1 bet limit.

DEB GREENSLADE