Big gambles, small dens

She’s just dropped $4000 in an hour on our pokies — get her a free drink

INDIVIDUALS are dropping thousands an hour and six-figure sums a year on pokie machines, Glitter Strip small venue staff reveal as the second casino debate heats up.

Small pokie den staff, speaking anonymously, said four-figure losses in a session was not an extreme example and people who played the most tended to be those who could least afford to lose.

Recent examples staff shared of staggering sums gambled via pokies in small venues include:

● A woman who dropped

$4000 in one hour on one pokie machine;

● A loyalty card holder who lost $100,000 in a year — he gambled $175,000 in pokie machine bets for a $75,000 return;

● A man described as living rough winning a $16,000 jackpot this month. He had been back to play every day since.

An operator said they were made aware of the woman who dropped $4000 by a manager who told him to go and shout her a drink and lunch.

“I asked why would we? He said ‘She’s just put $4000 in a machine the past hour’.

“Our biggest punter, who can afford it, put $175,000 through the machines last year for a return of $75,000.

“He gets points, he put $2000 on the bar one night. We know who problem gamblers are, who the winners are.”

One staffer said a “downand-out bloke” had hit a $16,000 pokie jackpot when punting through about $50 he’d won on a TAB bet.

“He was back yesterday — had a new jacket, new shoes, he is spending money like a drunken sailor. He’s been back every day since and we suspect he is targeting another big jackpot, feeling he has done it once, he can do it again.”

The raw insight into eyepopping losses comes as State Government ramps up talks with proponents of a tourism and entertainment resort — under its Global Tourism Hubs process — and a potential second casino licence.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones is about to go on a scouting trip of potential operators and interested parties in gambling meccas Las Vegas and Macau.

But she said yesterday: “Let’s be very clear, the whole point of Global Tourism Hubs is to move away from gaming being the main source of income.

“Instead, the focus is on new and exciting tourism infrastructure — particularly in the entertainment, retail and hospitality space.

“Government is yet to decide on the timing for any Gold Coast process.”

This week, Star CEO Matt Bekier pledged its $2 billion development vision with five more towers at its Broadbeach site in the next 10 years would not involve a request to add to its 1600 pokies.