Queenslanders across 23 councils broke records for pokie losses in July as $326m blown

Despite a cost of living crisis, pokie spending is higher than ever. Discover Queensland’s worst spots for gambling, and see how your region rates.

Queensland overtook Victoria and is now second to NSW in the number of poker machines nationally. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis Queenslanders lost more money than ever on the pokies, with $326m flushed away in just 31 days.

The worst losses by population size were in Mount Isa, where a population of just 18,000 lost $3.5m in a month — $251 per adult.

In the Brisbane LGA, the previous record of $63m in July 2022 was shattered, with $66m being gambled away on electronic gambling machines in July 2024.

Punters lost the most money per machine in the Logan LGA, with $23m being spent across just 1,970 pokies — an average of $12,000 pulled from each in 31 days.

But why did people gamble so much, despite your dollar’s purchasing power being less than ever before?

Gambling harm expert Charles Livingstone said while people might first hit up the machines with a dream of turning $20 into $40 that can quickly change.

“Once you get in an addictive scenario you go to get away from the reality of life,” he said.

“For many people, and in the working class areas where pokies are concentrated, they are really doing it tough.”

Charles Livingstone, Monash University Senior Researcher/addiction expert. Picture: Richard Jupe

It’s a horrible feedback loop where people in tough times try to find relief, only compounding the problems that brought them there in the first place, he explained.

“It’s exacerbating the harm of the cost-of-living crisis,” Mr Livingstone said.

“If you have less money to spend and you’re still spending it on the pokies because you are addicted, the rest of your life will be miserable and your family will have it worse.”

Mackay, a region of just 122,000 people gambled away $11m in July.

There is only one free gambling support service available in Mackay, run by Relationships Australia Queensland, and funded by the Queensland Government.

The site in the Mackay CBD has just one staffer who can offer face-to-face support, Susan Rounsevell, who has seen miners blow $50,000 in a month and $200,000 in a year.

Ms Rounsevell has been at full capacity for clients for four years, and more people are trying to get help while their funding has been cut.

While pokies are the biggest issue, Ms Rounsevell is seeing more problem gamblers betting online at virtual casinos and losing money even faster.

“In Queensland the machines are programmed to give 85c back out on the dollar,” she explained.

“Apps and online casinos can be unscrupulous. Unless they’re based in Australia there’s no regulation.”

Across 2022-23, Queenslanders lost $6.1bn gambling, according to a report by the Queensland Audit Office.

The state government collected $1.9bn in gambling taxes from $56bn in bets made that financial year, but only $11.9m was used to minimise the harm of gambling.

Former Labor premier Wayne Goss, who introduced poker machines to Queensland, has described them as a "scourge" he now regrets allowing into the state in February 1992

Within a year, there were 9332 pokies in 405 clubs and 298 hotels throughout Queensland.

Earlier this year, Office of Liquor and Gaming figures showed there were 45,518 licensed gaming machines.

Deanne Mills, regional manager, Central Queensland/Whitsunday for Relationships Australia Queensland said less than one per cent of the revenue which the government takes from pokies goes back to gambling health support.

“With more funding we can help more people,” Ms Mills said.

But funding is just one part of a broader problem, according to Mr Livingstone.

“Smaller regional towns in Queensland might not have a regional fire service nearby but you’ll have a poker machine club,” he said.

Do you need help with gambling for yourself or a loved one? Contact the free helpline at 1800 858 858.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article noted $6.1bn in pokie losses in 2022-23 — that has been amended to note it is the total gambling loss in Queensland.

Originally published as Queenslanders across 23 councils broke records for pokie losses in July as $326m blown