Following a decision from VCAT, a Ballarat Central hotel has reapplied to the City of Ballarat to install eight more pokie machines and expand its sports bar.
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The Robin Hood Hotel's initial application last year to add eight electronic gaming machines to the 20 it already has was rejected by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation - now the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission - as the hotel had promised to pay $50,000 each year to community groups.
Over eight years, it had only paid $119,000 out of the promised $400,000.
The pub intended to pay an additional $10,000 to community groups on top of the $50,000 if the application was granted, and expand its sports bar and entrance on Shepperd Street, and while the application for the eight extra EGMs was found to have minimal detriment to the community, the commission decided to exercise its powers and reject it.
The application went to VCAT in November 2021, where it was decided the eight extra machines could be installed if the pub paid back the promised $281,000 - this would include a lump sum payment of $112,000 before the machines were installed, and $56,217 per year over three years.
The business would have to create a committee, with two venue representatives and "(a) community representative nominated by the Venue Operator", to decide on which community organisations and sporting clubs would receive the money.
If any money was left unpaid, from the original commitment or from the additional $10,000 per year, the extra machines would have to cease operation.
"The Committee will advertise annually in a newspaper circulated in the City of Ballart (sic) for submissions from not-for-profit community and sporting organisations, providing services and facilities to residents in the City of Ballarat regarding the distribution of the Contributions," the VCAT decision states.
"The Committee will assess requests for cash contributions in accordance with guidelines to be established by the Committee."
The expanded sports bar must be "substantially completed" within two years, or the VGCCC may force the extra eight machines to cease operation.
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The City of Ballarat opposed the extra eight machines, stating in a submission "given the already high number of EGM's (sic) and rate of expenditure per adult on gaming machines we are still concerned about the compounding effect of the additional machines within the broader context", and called for some of the contributions to be donated to gambling harm support agencies.
Robin Hood Hotel management declined to comment.
From July to December 2021, the Robin Hood Hotel's net gaming expenditure was $753,131.58 from its 20 machines.
In March, $5,099,432.99 was lost to pokies in Ballarat alone.
- Need to talk? Phone Gambler's Help on 1800 858 858, Ballarat Cafs on 5337 3333, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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