Queensland's most profitable poker machines in state's most disadvantaged suburbs

QUEENSLAND'S most profitable poker machines can be found in the state's most disadvantaged suburbs and booming mining hubs.

pokies

QUEENSLAND'S most profitable poker machines can be found in the state's most disadvantaged suburbs and booming mining hubs.

The revelation is contained in figures released by the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing this week, which show Queenslanders lost almost $179 million to pokies in August a record.

The splurge came as the Federal Government faced renewed pressure to help problem gamblers by introducing mandatory pre-commitment technology to poker machines.

Clubs Australia meanwhile has stepped up its campaign opposing the gaming reforms, claiming the measures threaten the viability of community organisations.

A region-by-region analysis of the OLGR figures reveals Logan pokies proved Queensland's most profitable in August with the council area's 2089 machines taking an average of $5977 each a total of about $12.5 million.

The dubious honour, coupled with the fact the region recorded the state's highest unemployment rate of 8.3 per cent in the March quarter, rang alarm bells with charities.

Under a deal struck with independent MP Andrew Wilkie, the Labor Government has committed to pushing through mandatory pre-commitment gambling reforms for poker machines by May.

Mr Wilkie yesterday said the latest Queensland figures suggested the poker machine industry was targeting the "vulnerable and poor".

"It's disappointing but entirely unsurprising that in Queensland, like in other parts of Australia, the pokies industry concentrates its machines in the most profitable areas and in particular the most disadvantaged areas," he said.

Mission Australia Queensland state director Penny Gillespie said higher loss rates in areas such as Logan were concerning but not surprising.

"It has relatively high levels of unemployment and relatively high levels of social disadvantage generally," Ms Gillespie said.

"Our concern is it shows the worst figures for a long time and that those people who are suffering will be suffering even more."

Meanwhile, individual poker machines in the prosperous regional hubs of Gladstone ($5472), Mount Isa ($5036) and Townsville ($5027) proved the next most profitable, with Ipswich ($5023) rounding out the top five.

Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting president Rick Hansen said the ongoing mining boom and growing gas industry appeared to be having an impact on poker machine profits.

"I think that is reasonable to draw because we have had a history of bigger disposable incomes here and now that range is getting bigger," he said.

Clubs Queensland data indicates there are 552 gaming clubs with 73 per cent containing fewer than 40 pokies.