Almost $20 million lost in Tasmanian poker machines over one month

Poker machine losses increased by 26 per cent in July compared to the previous July, Treasury figures show.

The recently released figures show $19.4 million was lost to the machines in their first full month of operation in the state since coronavirus restrictions were eased.

The losses for the previous July were $15.4 million.

Nelson independent MLC and anti-poker machine advocate, Meg Webb, said the losses in July amounted to $626,721 per day.

She said there was a 20-per-cent increase on average in losses through poker machines in the municipalities in which they were based.

Losses in West Tamar and Dorset decreased, however.

Poker machine losses in the Launceston municipality were $1.7 million in July, compared to $1.4 million the previous July.

Loses in Devonport were $1.1 million in July, compared to $965,640 12 months beforehand.

There was $754,517 lost in poker machines based in Burnie last month, compared to $673,701 in July 2019.

Ms Webb said the state’s two casinos had a 42-per-cent increase on losses through the machines compared to July 2019 figures.

“These figures show poker machines are being used as harmful and dangerously expensive stress relief,” she said.

“On these figures, we can estimate a total of around $40 million lost to poker machines in Tasmania since they were switched back on nine weeks ago.

“That’s $40 million delivering comparatively very little economic value to our state or our hard-working, struggling local businesses.”

Ms Webb again called for gaming venues to be closed until the state’s social and economic impacts from coronavirus stabilised.

Premier Peter Gutwein said the increase could be related to increases in discretionary money of many people, particularly through not being able to travel interstate or overseas.

Business Northwest president Ian Jones said he would have preferred it if all money lost in North-West poker machines had been redirected to the region’s retailers.

“If there is extra money going into pokies, is there then more money going into online gambling?” he said.

“With people being off work and there being a higher JobSeeker payment, maybe people have time on their hands to try and get a lucky win.”

Launceston Chamber of Commerce executive officer David Peach said the increase in poker machine losses was disappointing from a social perspective.

But he said he assumed the spending was accompanied by spending on food and beverages at venues.

“It may present the difference between those venues keeping their doors open or not,” Mr Peach said.

He said if $1.8 million had been spent directly with venues or retailers, it would have resulted in more than $3 million being injected into the local economy through a ripple effect.

Matt Maloney | The Examiner | August 28, 2020