PHOTO: Poker machines have become a hot topic ahead of the March election and western plains communities have a vested interest.
“There are bells and lights. It’s always positive. You look at the screens. Things are flashing. There are a number of reels rolling. You have losses disguised as wins. You have a design that means for every $100 you put in, over time you will pnly get back $85,” explains Warwick Harrison in an interview with the Western Plains App.
“Pokies become a happy place. You are always hoping something good will happen. That there will be a win…for people escaping a lot of difficulty and upset in their lives and pain, it becomes a place people just want to escape too. People who feel hopeless are especially vulnerable.”
As problem gambling becomes a hot topic in the lead-up to the election, we take a look at the issue in our area…