Port Adelaide Enfield set to be biggest spender on pokies for sixth straight year
Spending on poker machines has increased in South Australia, and one council is leading the charge.
West & Beaches
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Port Adelaide Enfield is on track to top the state for poker machine spending for the sixth straight year.
Latest State Government figures show that $60.4 million was spent on gaming machines in the council area in the year to April 30.
Salisbury is sitting in second place with $55.6 million put through local machines during that time, followed by Onkaparinga ($49.7 million), Charles Sturt ($48.6 million) and Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully ($36.4 million).
The biggest average spend per venue was in Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully each with $3 million, while Playford venues had an average $2.8 million go through gaming machines.
In Port Adelaide Enfield, the average spend per venue was $1.6 million.
The state’s total spend has increased marginally to $57 million a month so far this financial year, compared to $56.8 million per month in 2017/18.
Port Adelaide Enfield has had the highest poker expenditure since records started being kept for local government areas in 2013/14.
It also has the highest number of machines (1129), followed by Charles Sturt (789), Adelaide (758), Onkaparinga (747) and Salisbury (697).
Australian Hotels Association chief executive officer Ian Horne said gaming revenue had flatlined in recent years, putting additional pressure on venues with poker machines.
“The consequences have been … an inability to reinvest in venue upgrades and facilities and a stagnation of sales of venues,” Mr Horne said.
“Interstate properties (are) much more attractive as investments.”
He said stagnant population growth, old technology, less appealing games compared to other states and the “explosion” of online gambling was behind the stalling revenue.
Mr Horne said the reduction also affected state coffers, with gaming tax collected dropping from $313.85 million in 2006/07 to $267.58 million last financial year.
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