In January 2013, we reported that pokies are becoming increasingly popular in resource-rich areas of Australia. Today, statistics released by Sunshine Coast Daily prove that this trend will continue into 2014, as miners in Queensland are some of this year’s biggest pokie spenders. This year, punters in Gladstone were the biggest punters in Queensland.
A total of $684.60 per person was spent on poker machines over the course of the past year. The state average of $429 per person pales in comparison. The second biggest spender this year was Macay, another coal mining town in Queensland. Residents of the town spent $672.25 on pokies per person, only marginally less than Gladstone residents. In Isaac, yet another important city in the coal industry, residents spent $612.77 per person.
Also in the Top Five are Rockhampton ($587.07) and Bundaberg ($584.66). These mining towns are quite small. The largest of the five is Mackay with just over 80 000 residents. Together, the population of these cities is less than half of Brisbane’s – but their residents spend more on pokies than players living in the state’s capital ($421 per person).
This is interesting to note, as Brisbane offers full-sized casinos that offer up hundreds of pokies. In the mining towns, players only have access to clubs and pubs – but they still manage to spend more than players in Brisbane. This is likely due to the fact that players in mining towns have more disposable income. Professionals in these cities are well off, and they have more funds available to wager on pokies.
In these small towns, it is a well-known fact that there are relatively few entertainment options. As such, gambling tends to be a popular pastime for adults in coal mining towns. It is likely that this trend will continue into the new year. As mining towns become more prosperous, it is expected that their pokie spending will also soar.
About the Author
