Shocking amount lost on pokie machines on Fraser Coast so far this year

Mayor George Seymour has joined the growing throng of people condemning the ‘catastrophic’ impact of pokies in light of the almost unbelievable amount of money poured into them.

According to figures from the Queensland Government’s Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation show that across 1175 electronic gambling machines, $32,362,438 was lost by members of the public on the Fraser Coast.

More than $32 million has been lost to pokie machines on the Fraser Coast in the first four months of 2025.

Figures from the Queensland Government’s Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation show that across 1175 electronic gambling machines, $32,362,438 was lost by members of the public on the Fraser Coast.

This is the actual amount lost: the amount put in minus the winnings paid out.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said that these losses had severe detrimental impacts right across the community including relationship breakdown, financial stress, depression, and suicide.

“The harm these machines do is truly terrifying,” Mr Seymour said.

“They are addictive and they are harmful.

“We as a society would be a lot better off without pokie machines.

“These addictive machines cause catastrophic damage in the lives of people right across society.”

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said that these losses had severe detrimental impacts right across the community including relationship breakdown, financial stress, depression, and suicide.

Mr Seymour said pokie machine addiction should be treated as a public health issue like other addictions such as alcohol and tobacco.

“The health nature of this type of addiction is downplayed because gambling addiction is driven through the brain’s internal reward system – the release of dopamine – rather than an external substance like nicotine or alcohol,” he said.

“We have consumer protection laws that protect people from dodgy and harmful products – but in this case these machines are wreaking havoc in communities right across the country.

“In the same way we now have plain packaging of cigarettes, we should have plain packaging of pokie machines,” he said.

Unlike other countries where gambling machines are primarily found in casinos – in Australia approximately 93 per cent of the licenced pokie machines are dispersed across communities in clubs and hotels – and the spread of gambling harm has a corresponding pattern.

The amount lost on the Fraser Coast for the same period in 2024 was $29,419,524.

The year before was $27,758,802.

Originally published as Shocking amount lost on pokie machines on Fraser Coast so far this year