Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation data shows Horsham Rural City gamblers lost more than $75-million between July 2008 and July 2016.

For most of those eight years, the net losses were accumulated at four pokies venues in Horsham with a total of 148 machines between them.

Overall yearly pokies losses have been on a downward trend since 2010/11, with losses declining 13.75 per cent between 2008/09 and 2015/16.

Horsham’s combined losses were down 3.8 per cent over the same time period.  

Horsham Sports and Community Club has 78 of Horsham’s current 148 machines and expanded its pokies number after the Royal Hotel disposed of its allocation in 2013.

Horsham Sports and Community Club accounted for more than $39 million in losses on its own, almost as much as entire council areas such as Ararat and Northern Grampians.

Rural City of Ararat gamblers lost $42.6 million and Northern Grampians lost $41.4 million since 2008.

Horsham Sports and Community Club manager Glenn Carroll said the organisation was run only to benefit members and the community.

“Our club is owned by members. We have about 5200 and I’d say 95 per cent of them are from the Wimmera,” he said.

“We employ about 31 staff, employs a lot of local business for contracts

“All profits after trading go to the community: about $200,000 in 2015/16, up from $180,000 in 2014/2015.”

Mr Carroll said poker machines were a legal product.

He said the club has made donations in the past to the Horsham Aeromedical Transfer Station, Dimboola playground and the May and Millar wagon restoration.

Pokies provide significant tax revenue to the state government.

Without adjusting for inflation, the amount of money lost in the Wimmera and Grampians would be enough to pay for the upgrade of the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat.

The 2016 pokies loss rates for Horsham, Ararat and Northern Grampians are slightly below the Victoria average of $600 lost per adult per year.

However, all three areas are among the most economically disadvantaged, and the losses could represent a higher percentage of average earnings.