Locals in Deer Park, Melbourne's west, are concerned about a proposed 500-home development being too close to pubs with high poker machine losses. According to the article, the Deer Park Hotel and Deer Park Club recorded nearly $20 million and $17 million in gambling losses, respectively, during the last financial year. The residents' concerns come as Victoria's political parties have different approaches to gambling reform ahead of this year's election, with some advocating for stricter regulations on poker machines. A local resident and member of the new West Party estimates that the two pubs near the development lose over $100,000 every day due to problem gaming.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
Locals living near a proposed housing development in Melbourne's west are concerned about its proximity to pubs with high poker machine losses.
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Locals → live → losses
Nearby venues each recorded nearly $20 million in punter gambling losses during the last financial year.
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venues → record → year
Victoria's political parties have different approaches to gambling reform ahead of this year's election.
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parties → have → election
After years of sitting empty, hectares of land once the site of an explosives depot in Melbourne's west will be transformed into 500 homes.
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hectares → sit → homes
Although the extra housing in Deer Park is welcomed, some locals are concerned that the proposal is too close to a pub with poker machines and no alternative community hub in the plan.
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proposal → welcome → plan
"It's a potential social housing disaster,'' said local resident Graeme Blore.
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resident → say → ?
"My concern is the devastation poker machines are causing.
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machines → cause → ?
Brimbank has one of the highest rates of gambling losses of any LGA in Melbourne."
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Brimbank → have → Melbourne
Punters lost $185 million in Brimbank LGA last financial year, more than other local government area in the state.
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Punters → lose → state
The Deer Park Hotel, which is next to the housing development, recorded $19.5 million in gambling losses, while the Deer Park Club, less than a kilometre away, recorded a further $17 million in losses.
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Club → record → losses
"That's over $100,000 a day, every single day of the year," Mr Blore said.
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Blore → say → year
He has campaigned against the plans for years.
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He → campaign → years
Now, for the first time in his 70 years he has joined a political party, the fledgling West Party.
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he → join → party
The new party has a plan to crackdown on poker machines if they win influence at this November's state election.
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they → have → election
"We are not about outlawing altogether,'' Werribee candidate Paul Hopper said.
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Hopper → outlaw → ?
"We just see a much fairer and more equitable system for the people of Victoria, and we think these addictive features need to be dealt with and minimised."
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features → see → Victoria
Mr Hopper previously ran as an independent in the last Werribee contest.
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Hopper → run → contest
The West Party wants to remove elements of poker machines such as alarms that make losses sound like win, as well as changing the rate pokies can spin.
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pokies → want → rate
Complex policy area
Treasury collects $1.5 billion in pokies taxes every year, while the social impact of problem gambling in Victoria, of which pokies is the biggest contributor, was estimated to be $14 billion.
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pokies → collect → which
The political issue is usually championed by minor and non-government parties.
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issue → champion → parties
But the Labor government under Daniel Andrews made a shock announcement in 2023 that it would pursue a scheme forcing punters to preset how much they were willing to lose.
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they → make → punters
Punters would require a card to play.
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Punters → require → card
It was hailed as a major step forward by advocates worried about problem gambling, but was slammed by the industry.
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It → hail → industry
The state has since passed laws to enable the scheme's rollout and a trial has been held.
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trial → pass → rollout
However, the wider rollout was delayed under Jacinta Allan who feared a negative campaign from clubs and pubs ahead of the November election.
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who → delay → election
The trial was also criticised for being too weak and its results are yet to be published.
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results → criticise → ?
The Coalition has previously questioned whether carded play would work after consulting the hotels lobby.
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play → question → lobby
"Labor's carded play trial ended nine months ago, yet its results remain secret,'' a Coalition spokesperson said.
"
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spokesperson → card → ?
An elected Coalition government will release the results of the trial upon coming to government.
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government → elect → government
We will consider all forms of technology in evaluating the best ways to mitigate gambling harm.
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We → consider → harm
"
Premier Ben Carroll has backed the scheme.
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Carroll → back → scheme
"These things have worked,'' Mr Carroll said on Friday.
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Carroll → work → Friday
"They have had a big, important impact, and that is why what is evidence-based we have to look at delivering on."
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we → have → why
The Greens want to phase out poker machines and have called for tougher bet limits in the interim.
"
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Greens → want → interim
The Liberals want pokies to be able to take as much money from Victorians as they want, and this will kill people," Greens leader Ellen Sandell said.
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Sandell → want → people
I think it's a disgraceful policy.
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it → think → ?
Labor and Liberals are both in bed with the gambling lobby."
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Labor → gamble → lobby
Long-time anti-pokies campaigner Reverend Tim Costello said he was please the West Party was pursuing a policy to cut harm but lamented the lack of action under the former premier.
"
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Party → say → premier
Labor has failed to deliver on carded play.
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Labor → fail → play
They're nowhere,"he said.
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They → say → ?
…and 1 more, not listed.