QLD worst pokies hotspots revealed by suburb

Queenslanders are losing more than $888 million as the state’s worst pokie hotspots can be revealed. Search our interactive table and see how your suburb compares.

Poker machines in Brisbane’s pubs and clubs have recorded losses of almost $190 million in just the first three months of the year.

The pokies hotspot of Queensland as of March this year housed more than 7600 machines, accounting for just shy of 19 per cent of the state total.

The Gold Coast local government area in Queensland’s south came in second with $120m in losses across its 5371 machines, followed by Moreton Bay in Brisbane’s north and Logan in the state’s southeast.

Punters across the state lost a whopping $888m across more than 40,000 machines in pubs and clubs between January and March of this year.

The losses follow the Queensland government’s move to increase poker machine caps for clubs licensed to operate multiple premises.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate Tim Costello, said cashless cards were the key for state governments seeking to address the harms of gambling addiction, as it “allows you to lock in your losses before you’re in front of a hypnotising machine.”

The Victorian parliament just last month established a framework for carded play, and required all new machines to have a slower spin rate.

A trial of cashless gaming set for the coming months was postponed, however, following the NSW government’s 2024 trial which was lambasted after only 14 of the 243 participants were determined to have actively participated in the scheme.

“Minns promised a trial of the technology and turned it into a trial of whether the punters liked it … It’s like trialling plain packaging to see if smokers prefer it. It’s ridiculous,” he said.

“Because Victoria’s broke, they looked at the revenue coming in from pokies and they said state coffers need it, you know if there’s reform there will be less revenue, so they postponed the trial.”

The Victorian parliament just last month established a framework for carded play, and required all new machines to have a slower spin rate.

But while state governments stall on gambling reform, some venues have ripped out electronic gaming machines entirely, like Sydney’s Odd Culture hospitality group.

The outfit which now operates 5 venues across Sydney, including the Old Fitzroy Hotel and the Duke of Enmore, has a strict no pokies policy.

Odd Culture’s Entertainment and operations Manager Sabrina Medcalf, said while the decision meant a “slower burn” for revenue, it was “sustainable, ethical and therefore quite rewarding”.

“We’ve never relied on pokies ever to drive revenue … instead we’re now able to have live gigs, trivia and jazz nights, wine tastings, and theatre performances,” she said.

“From the outset our philosophy has been, you know, pretty clear. Our venues are places of connection and creativity and culture.”

Duke of Enmore pub in Sydney has removed poker machines in favour of other ways to create revenue. The pokie space if now set for live bands and entertainment. Picture: Supplied

Facial recognition was mandated by the South Australian government in 2022 for venues with 30 or more gaming machines.

However Mr Costello described the technology as a “crock”.

“Trusting pubs and clubs with facial recognition and the data to self-exclude or intervene is like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank,” he said.

The Australian Hotels Association and Clubs Australia were contacted for comment.

Anybody negatively affected by gambling can contact Gambler’s Help for free and confidential online, phone and face-to-face services. Call 1800 858 858 (24/7) or visit gamblershelp.com.au

Originally published as QLD worst pokies hotspots revealed by suburb