🎰 $10.5 million gone in one month
Plus: The best events in the region this October 🎡
Zara Cuthbertson
October 01, 2025
⏱️ This edition of the West Vic Brolga newsletter is a four-minute read.
👋🏻 Hello Brolga readers, Zara here, hope you had a great start to your week.
For the fellow Geelong fans, I hope you’ve managed to pick yourself back up after the weekend’s loss.
Next season, I’m crossing my fingers for a grand final with two Victorian teams in a one-point arm wrestle blockbuster. That’s my kind of footy.
🗞️ Let’s crack on with some news.
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️
WEDNESDAY, 01/10/25 | Ararat Seniors Festival
SATURDAY, 04/10/25 | Australian Pedal Car Grand Prix, Coleraine
SATURDAY, 04/10/25 | Walk the Walk Festival 2025, Colac
Latest headlines in West Vic
🎰 In July, Western Victorians lost $338,000 a day on poker machines. Families are paying a heavy toll
In Western Victoria, millions of dollars are being lost every month on poker machines – but the damage isn’t only financial, with studies pointing to the link between gambling and domestic violence.
The Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) latest report found an estimated 3.1 million Australian adults - around 15 per cent of the population - experienced gambling-related harms in 2024. These included stress, guilt, borrowing money, selling belongings or chasing losses.
And closer to home, data from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission showed steep losses in July this year - nearly $6 million in Ballarat, $2.1 million in Warrnambool, $1.4 million in Glenelg and just over $1 million in Colac Otway.
It totals about $10.5 million lost in 31 days, at an average of $338,000 a day.
Meli, a not-for-profit organisation offering help for gambling and family violence support across Barwon and the South West, supported 390 people last financial year.
Therapeutic services manager Betti Chapelle said the impacts of gambling often spilled into family relationships and, in some cases, led to violence.
“Determining the extent to which gambling drives family violence is complex,” she told the Brolga. “While gambling may not directly cause family violence, research shows there are strong associations between the two.”
Chapelle also said “gambling-related harm is closely linked to financial abuse”.
“Individuals experiencing gambling issues may pressure their partners to hand over money or incur debt in their partner’s name. This deepens financial dependence and can make it harder for someone to leave an unsafe situation.”
She added that digital platforms are worsening risks: “Online gambling platforms can exacerbate these risks. Their accessibility and anonymity often enable compulsive gambling, while limiting opportunities for early intervention. Many platforms lack robust safeguards to prevent financial abuse or coercive use.”
From lively festivals and family-friendly shows to markets, workshops and live performances, the district is buzzing, with plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the community this month.
The Brolga’s list of what’s on across the patch in October is here.
AN IMPORTANT DEBATE 🥧
On a recent visit to Cobb’s Bakery in Port Fairy, we put a question to our followers: is it called a nibble pie or a party pie? And how do you eat one?
What are your thoughts? Watch the full video below and let us know what side you’re on.
That’s all I’ve got for you today folks, thanks for reading. As always, feel free to reply to this email with any comments, feedback or even just to say hello.
Cheers,
Zara
P.S. here’s a little something extra for you.
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