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WC260824_Digital_Edition

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TODAY

17o Possible shower

19o 18o 16o TUE

WED

THURS

www.wangarattachronicle.com.au

Monday, August 26, 2024

Phone (03) 5723 0100

$2.00 INC. GST

UNDER SIEGE ROVERS player Lockey McCartney has eyes on the ball while finding himself outnumbered by Yarrawonga players in the Pigeons’ 35-point win over the Hawks at WJ Findlay Oval on Saturday. Yarrawonga took out the minor premiership and it sets up nicely for a local derby qualifying final between the Rovers and Magpies at Corowa this weekend. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling ■ See story in sport

Peter Siperki to run for council

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Police road safety forum for community Page 3

Bright solid over King Valley Sport

LOSSES $10M+ Pokies p players y lose $ $315k less than p previous yyear,, but trend over Jan-June shows escalation

ELECTRONIC gaming machine (EGM) losses in the Rural City of Wangaratta eased last financial year but they still exceeded $10.5 million and trends over the last six months have shown increased spending. Figures from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission show that $10,559,115 was spent on EGMs in Wangaratta in

BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au

2023/24, down $315,000 on the previous year’s figure of $10,874,190. But it’s the behaviour of gamblers between January and June the shows a rise in the money being spent locally on EGMs compared to the

same data period last year, with almost a $1m swing on the ledger since the start of the year. Up until December the financial losses at the four Wangaratta venues combined was an encouraging $651k less than at the same time in 2023 ($5.4m compared to $6.05m). However, from January to the end of June in 2024,

gamblers pumped through $336k more through the venues compared to the same six months in 2023 ($5.15m compared to $4.82m). Data shows the highest losses on EGMs in Wangaratta during 2023/24 were in August and October ‘23 with $972k and $907k, and May ‘24 with $910k. These were not as bad as the historically high losses

in July, August and October 2022 when more than $1m was blown in each of those months. The $1.121m lost in August 2022 remains the rural city’s all-time record month for EGM-related losses. The 2023/24 data shows the most was spent at the Pinsent Hotel in 2023/24, with $4,032,950 spent on 44 EGMs. This venue was followed

by Wangaratta RSL with $2,537,806 spent on 50 EGMs, The Old Town ‘n’ Country Tavern with $2,424,852 on 35 EGMs, and Wangaratta Club with $1,563,507 spent on 25 EGMs. Wodonga city lost the most in the North East, with punters injecting $10.782m into the pokies, about $54k more than they did in 2022/23. ■ Continued page 3

Fresh new look for the leading organic wholefood store in North East Victoria. (03) 5798 3446 13 BAKER ST, WANGARATTA SHOP@WANGARATTAWHOLEFOODS.COM.AU


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