‘Extraordinary’: More than $3.5 billion slotted into Qld poker machines

By Josh Bavas

February 17, 2025 — 9.29pm

Poker machines in Queensland pubs and clubs are collectively raking in $9.7 million on average from patrons every day.

The record windfall for operators – in total, $3.53 billion from 40,988 operational machines in 2024 – is up 46 per cent since 2019 and comes despite community concerns over the cost of living.

The new data, obtained by Nine News, does not include takings from poker machines at Queensland’s four casinos.

More than $3.5 billion was spent on poker machines in Queensland hotels and clubs in 2024.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Chief Executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform Martin Thomas said the record figures should “sound the alarm”.

“The losses are extraordinary and ever since COVID, we’re seeing a huge spike in those losses,” he said.

“Gambling is taking an incredible toll on the community and we are sleep-walking into it and our political leaders are completely missing in action.”

The data shows regions with some of the lowest median household incomes are gambling the most money.

“Unfortunately, it’s often those that can least afford to lose this money that are losing it,” he said.

“What that data tells us is the gambling industry is predatory and it targets low-income households, people that can least afford to lose this money.”

The Victorian government is working to introduce a mandatory gaming card within the next two years, to help track and control spending, and will also slash maximum machine loading limits from $1000 to $100.

The NSW government is also considering cashless card technology, while the Queensland government has only moved to introduce carded play in casinos but has yet to give a deadline.

Associate Professor Charles Livingstone, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, said similar cards introduced overseas had proven to help problem gamblers.

“It’s reduced the total amount of gambling, it hasn’t seen people leaking off to go and spend their money on wagering or anything else and it’s been effective in giving people more control.”

“You don’t know how much you’re going to spend when you go into a pokie room and unfortunately people lose control and they spend the lot.”

Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Bernie Hogan said patrons “should be able to choose how they spend their money”.

“A digital wallet is not a magical answer,” he said.

“What they’re really asking for is daily limits and we see that as a clear way to ruin businesses that thrive right across Queensland.

“Are we going to put restrictions on people on what food they buy and what cars they drive? No we don’t. This is people’s choice.”

Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the government would consider the findings from trials interstate.

The government will receive $1.1 billion from poker machine taxes this financial year.

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