In the lead-up to the state government election, City of Whittlesea mayor and director of Pronia, Kris Pavlidis is continuing her fight against gambling, and in particular pokie machines.

On Wednesday, Cr Pavlidis helped launched the Pokies Play YOU campaign, along with Chandana Rao, Tim Costello, Stephen Mayne, and Susan Rennie from the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

Cr Pavlidis launching the City of Whittlesea’s Pokies Play YOU Campaign. Photo: Facebook

The campaign features a petition, which requires 10,000 signatures from people to show their support behind the initiative to reduce harm associated with pokies.

Following the state government’s permission to introduce an additional 199 poker machines in the area, the campaign demands that this be revoked and that there be fewer poker machines in the City of Whittlesea.

The campaigners are also calling for the machines that do stay in the vicinity, be ‘con-free’. This would see the removal of features designed to keep the user playing.

Finally, it also calls for games venues to have reduced operating hours, calling for a mandatory shutdown of poker machine venues between 2.00 am and 8.00 am.

“This has become a scourge on our society with devastating social impact on individuals, families and communities,” wrote Cr Pavlidis on Facebook.
To sign the petition, visit pokiesplaywhittlesea.org.au