According to a new report by researchers at Monash University, pokies do not contribute as much money to charity as the public has been led to believe. It seems that the amount of money that is lost on pokies in the first place overshadow the contributes made to local charities and not-for-profit organizations across the county. The study was led by Charles Livingston of Monash University.

It illustrates that $9.7 billion was spent on poker machines in Australia’s largest states, including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Canberra. In comparison, just $180 million was given to local charities. This just two percent of pokies’ revenue.

"The actual level of community support provided by poker machine operators is minuscule in comparison to the amount of money lost by poker machine users within local communities," says Dr. Livingstone. During the debate over pokie reform, Clubs Australia argued that pokies funding would suffer if betting limits were imposed.

As such, the organization seemed to be overstating the actual contributes made to the local community by poker machines. Anti-gambling advocates have yet to respond to the news. However, we expect to see an outcry over the issue. With the amount of money that is spent on poker machines, it seems that operators and club owners should be required to contribute more to local charities and organizations.

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.