Queenslanders have lost an extra half a billion dollars to gambling in a single year, with players losing the majority of their money through electronic gaming machines.
The latest figures from the Queensland government reveal gamblers lost $5.1 billion last financial year – up 11.3 per cent from the $4.6 billion lost the year before.
The losses in 2022-23 also exceeded the $4.3 billion lost in 2018-19, which was the last financial year before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Electronic gaming machines accounted for $3.2 billion – or 63.2 per cent – of the losses last financial year, while casino losses amounted to almost $800 million.
Queenslanders also lost another $642.1 million through lotteries, while $313.8 million was lost through wagering.
Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Carol Bennett described the latest gambling losses in Queensland as “incredible”.
“These are extraordinary figures at a time when we know that people are doing it tough,” she said.
“We suspect people are trying to get their money back by gambling and trying to get in front of the curve when things are so tough.”
“At the end of the day, we need to see both the federal government and the state governments really make this a national priority,” she said.
The federal government introduced laws to parliament earlier this month in a move to ban the use of credit cards for online gambling.
In Queensland, the number of electronic gaming machines allowed in pubs and clubs is capped by the state government.
(ABC)
