NT Pokies swallow $82m

The losses from pokie machines have been spread all over Australia and the presence of these gaming devices is being felt where ever they are in operation. Now it has been noted that these losses are being felt quite significantly in the Norther Territory, with the total measurable losses from pokies in pubs in clubs going up from $14 million to $82.6 million over the past year, In one of the most prominent spikes in the industry ever noted, since it has been a matter of public record. These figures have shocked the country and in the industry and has called for big changes in how the machines are regulated.

These numbers have become more significant as research and analyst have found that the overall numbers of the pokies in the clubs and pubs in the country has steadily risen by around one-quarter after the state lifted the cap on the number of pokies allowed in certain areas. On top of all the losses in the pubs and clubs players have managed to lose another $58.9 million in the popular pokies at Sky city Darwin casino along with another $20.3 million at the Lasseters Casino both of which are popular venues in the NT area.

This focus of losses in a particular area has brought certain things to light for the people in charge of oversight in regards to gambling and pokies in particular. Most notably they have seen an apparent correlation between Gaming Minister Peter Styles lifting a seven year cap on pokies and a spike in losses. After the cap was lifted 19 licensed venues have successfully applied to the Territory Government and procured at total of 303 machines. This allows a particular venue to have around 55 machines instead of just 45. People are looking for ways to fix this issue by either limiting the number of pokies or increasing the amount spent on outlets that curb gaming.