Territorians collectively blowing more than $293,000 a day on pokies, new figures show
TERRITORIANS are pouring more money into poker machines than ever before. Figures show we lost a collective $107 million on pokies in pubs and clubs last financial year
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TERRITORIANS are pouring more money into poker machines than ever before.
Figures from the Director-General of Licensing show we lost a collective $107 million on pokies in pubs and clubs last financial year.
That’s well up on last year’s losses of $103 million.
Each machine chewed up an average of $200 a day.
Amity NT chief executive Nicola Coalter said people leaned on their vices more in difficult economic times. “Historically in our country when facing tough economic times, there is often a relationship which increases in tobacco, in alcohol and in gambling,” she said.
“We see those types of behaviours as coping mechanisms – when people are doing it tough we tend to overuse our coping mechanisms.”
The licensing report showed the average gross profit per machine per day last financial year was $199.25, an increase of 3.33 per cent on the previous year.
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Ms Coalter said rising profits didn’t surprise her.
“We have a large amount of gaming machines in our community and they are easily accessible,” she said.
“We know that when we have harmful products that are easily accessible and easy to use, there is a complex relationship which will show an increase in harm for people.”
The answer was fewer pokies, she said.
But Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said it wasn’t all bad – $12 million was distributed to community groups through the Community Benefit Fund last financial year. The fund operates through a levy on pokies takings.
“While gaming revenue makes up an important component of the NT economy, the Government balances this with a mindful approach to addressing gambling-related harm,” she said.
Some of the highest selling licensed clubs included the Nightcliff Sports Club, Cazalys Palmerston Club and the Katherine Country Club.
Takings from the NT’s two casinos are recorded separately.
Collectively, pokies at SkyCity/Mindil Beach Casino Resort and Lasseters Hotel Casino in Alice Springs took $71.3 million, down from $75.8 million the previous year.
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WHERE WE PLAYED
Top 10 licensed hotels/taverns based on gaming machine profit (alphabetical order)
• Beachfront Hotel
• Hibiscus Tavern
• Howard Springs Tavern
• Humpty Doo Tavern
• Palmerston Tavern
• Parap Hotel
• Plaza Karama Tavern
• The Bell Bar Bistro
• The Landmark
• Walkabout Tavern
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