As the nation faces a cost-of-living crisis, Queensland Australia, poker machine players have doubled down on losses, feeding a record $301.8 million into electronic gambling machines (EGMs) in July.
Gambling researchers have called for urgent regulatory action to address community harm caused by EGMs, but the Queensland government said it was not looking to reduce their numbers.
The July figure equates to a loss of more than $750 for every Queensland pokies player.
The Queensland government launched a four-year gambling harm minimisation plan in July last year, aiming to strengthen regulation, create a socially responsible industry and reduce gambling harm.
But in the first seven months of 2022, pokies losses in the state's pubs and clubs have risen by more than 9 per cent year-on-year — higher than the rate of inflation.
The Queensland government acknowledged evidence presented last year to the Perth Casino Royal Commission demonstrating a link between gambling harm and the availability of pokies in community venues but told the ABC it had no plans to reduce the number of EGMs across the state.
There is a 44,205 cap on the number of EGMs, in hotels (19,500) and clubs (24,705). The Queensland government has no plans to change this cap," an Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation (OLGR) spokesperson said.
Queensland has the second highest number of poker machines in the country, eclipsed only by New South Wales which is home to more than 100,000 gambling machines.
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