Yet another record has been broken with regard to pokies in Australia. According to Sunshine Coast Daily, $12.5 million was spent on the machines in just one month! The report states that over $400 000 was wagered everyday on poker machines in the Sunshine Coast area. It is the highest amount of money spent on pokies in just one month that the Sunshine Coast has seen in three years.

Residents of Sunshine Coast are actually some of the biggest spenders when it comes to poker machines. Just last year, $135 million was spent on pokies by residents of the area. According to Neil Mellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast, called the statistic both 'significant' and 'disturbing'.

Such a large jump in gambling spending is certainly worth examining; however, there is no word yet on whether or not a study into gambling behaviour in the area will be launched. Meanwhile, the battle over pokie reform continues to rage on in the government. While Andrew Wilkie continues to push for the legislation of pokie reform, sports clubs and casino operators are resistant to the idea.

Should pokie reform be enacted, areas like the Sunshine Coast will undoubtedly see less spending on the machines; however, sports clubs and charities will lose out on funding.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.