GAMBLERS blew $60.857 million on Mackay poker machines last year.
Despite the global financial crises it was almost the same as the year before, when pokies punters frittered away $61.081 million at gaming venues in the Mackay local government area.
Queensland Minister for Gaming Peter Lawlor said a ban on gambling before 10am, introduced on January 1, 2009, may have contributed to the slight decrease which occurred even though there were 110 more poker machines in operation.
However, Relationships Australia Mackay manager Lis Clough said the decrease was very small and that problem gambling was an issue in the region.
Ms Clough said poker machine addiction was a particular problem in areas where people had high disposable incomes, including mining boom regions such as Mackay.
She said it wasn’t uncommon for women who didn’t know anyone in town to head to the pokies to escape their boredom and loneliness while their husbands were at work.
And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
“Many people come in for help but we know there are many more people out there,” Ms Clough said.
“People only seek help at the point where they feel they have no control.”
The amount of money lost on poker machines in Mackay peaked in July when $5.549 million was gambled away.
Ms Clough said July and August were traditionally times when poker machine expenditure increased, with tax cheques arriving in the mail and holidaymakers arriving in sunny Queensland.
But for some, gambling is an ongoing issue.
A recent survey conducted by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation showed that problem gambling affected 12,000 Queenslanders – or 0.37 per cent of the population.
Mr Lawlor said this figure had dropped continuously since 2001 when 0.83 per cent of Queenslanders had a gambling problem.
Ms Clough said poker machines were akin to a double-edged sword.
“If you win, it encourages you to keep gambling,” she said.
“The problem is, when you lose it also encourages you to keep gambling.
“I’ve heard of one client who said the person on the machine next to them collapsed and that they didn’t stop to check on them – they just kept on playing.”
Ms Clough said most didn’t seek help until they had almost lost everything – including all their money and relationships.
“I’ve certainly had clients who have contemplated suicide,” she said.
Mr Lawlor said the State Government was trying to balance out the social and economic costs and benefits associated with poker machines.
“There are, of course, a variety of factors that impact on gambling in Queensland and it is difficult to know exactly how much of an impact a given factor has.
“The pre-10am ban could very well be among the factors that have led to the reduction in gaming machine expenditure in Mackay,” Mr Lawlor said.
Issued by The Daily Mecury 18th January 2010
http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2010/01/18/lost-608m-on-mackay-pokies-mackay-blows-608m-on-po/
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