REVENUE from poker machines in Frankston dropped slightly in the six months ended 2009 compared with the corresponding period the previous year, the latest figures from the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation show.

This is probably largely due to there being no federal handout 'stimulus' to punters in 2009 as there was in December 2008.

In Frankston, there was an expenditure of $36.90 million in the last six months of 2009 ($38.34 mil-

lion in 2008).

Frankston has 10 venues with a total of 596 gaming machines – up from 583 in 2007 when there were 4.88 pokies for every 1000 adults. Nett annual expenditure per adult is calculated at $749. The metropolitan average is $687.

In neighbouring Kingston, $45.55million went into the machines between July-December 2009 compared with $46.46million between July-December 2008.

Kingston has 17 venues with a total of 944 machines, with 6.73 pokies for every 1000 adults. Nett expenditure per adult was $785.

Frankston's expenditure in November 2008 was a little under $6.1million, which surged to almost $7.1million the following month. It is believed this was due to the arrival of the Federal Government's $900 handout to every adult in the land.

By comparison, in November 2009 pokie revenue in Frankston was $5.5million. In December, it rose marginally to $5.9million.

In Kingston, poker machine revenue in November 2008 was $7.5million, rising to $8.2million in December 2008.

In 2009, it went from $7.3million in November to $7.6million in December.

Expenditure in Frankston has risen steadily from $61million in the financial year 2003-04 to $73.9million in 2008-09.

Expenditure in Kingston was $79.7million in 2003-04, increasing to $90.1million in 2008-09.

Mike Morris