The Queensland government has opened up its gambling market to allow for several new casino resorts to be built. The new venues will bring in millions of dollars in tourism and gambling revenue every year – and, they will also like bring an influx of new poker machines.
According to The Australian, the three new casino resorts that have been proposed for the Gold Coast, Cairns and Brisbane could add another 6000 new pokies to the state. Currently, there is a cap of 48 353 poker machines across Queensland’s clubs and hotels, but this will not apply to the new casino resorts that have been approved by the local government in the past year.
Responsible gambling advocates are pushing for an assessment of the new games, which would determine the social impact of adding 6000 new pokies to the state of Queensland. It is important to understand how the new games will effect local residents and if they will have an impact on problem gambling rates.
“Any increase in casino gaming machines requires assessment by the independent Liquor and Gaming Commissioner,’’ says Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie. “It is inappropriate to speculate as all proposals are being assessed by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.
Once the assessment has been carried out and the social impacts have been identified, it will be up to casino operators to present ways to mitigate these impacts. If the impact is considered to be negative, this could mean the introduction of more safe gambling measures in the venues or providing more funding to problem gambling services across the state.
The assessment has yet to take place, but we will keep you updated as this story develops.
About the Author
