Queensland’s LNP opposition has brought the poker machine debate to the forefront, with an election promise of more poker machines to clubs with multiple premises, should it win.
The party contends that this move would enable larger clubs, which have already reached their EGM quotas, to merge with smaller clubs at risk of shutting down.
The Labor government maintains it is likely to deliver a similar change as it considers a club compact.
Currently Queensland law states that single premise clubs are allowed a maximum of 300 gaming machines.
For clubs with two premises, the cap increases to 450 machines, with 500 machines allowed for clubs holding three or more premises, on the proviso that no more than 300 are held at any one site.
The LNP election promise offers lifting the cap for clubs with three or more premises to 700, although the cap of 300 for each site is maintained.
It further promises to retain the overall cap for Queensland clubs of 24,705 gaming machines.
Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls described clubs as an essential element in both suburban and rural communities, and a core element of what it means to be a Queenslander.
“The policy does not increase the allowable machine allocation at each venue but would allow larger community-owned clubs to step in to stop smaller clubs being forced to close,” he stated.
A spokesperson from Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath’s office agreed with the importance of the role clubs play. However, the spokesperson also recognised a balance needs to be struck.
“The Queensland government has committed to a club compact, but also has to take into account the needs of the entire sector while ensuring gambling harm minimisation initiatives,” they told the ABC.
Clubs Queensland has been calling for an increase to the cap for some time. CEO Kelly Egan pointed out that on average, each year for the past decade, twelve clubs have closed down across Queensland.
Egan recognised this policy would go some way to avoid further closures.
Currently there are only four clubs that have reached the individual cap, and two that have reached the 500 gaming machine cap.
While there are only a small number of venues that would meet the criteria for the new cap, the measure could offer the opportunity to sustain the club industry into the future.
Egan gave the example of Caboolture Sports Club, which holds multiple sites and is now limited by the cap. He maintained the club would have a genuine opportunity to support its wider community should it be allowed further gaming machine expansion.
In opposition to the election promise, Alliance for Gambling Reform’s (AGR) interim CEO Martin Thomas said his organisation was calling for a reduction in the overall number of gaming machines available in clubs.
Queenslanders lost over $5 billion to gambling in the 2022-23 financial year alone, with over half ($3.2 billion) lost through gaming machines.
Instead, the AGR is pushing for the introduction of a mandatory cashless card.
Poker machine users would be required to pre-set their losses prior to play, and would be locked out for a set period of time.
“You might say ‘I’m happy to lose $50 a week’. Once you’ve lost that, you’re locked out for a day or two until you’re able to play again,” Mr Thomas said to the ABC.
