Pokies losses › Queensland › Brisbane
Pokies losses in Brisbane
Brisbane, Queensland. Every dollar on this page went into a poker machine and never came back. Here's how much, and what that money could have done instead.
Lost in a year
$869.8 million
That's $2.4 million a day, or $786 for every adult in Brisbane.
- Machines
- 7,636
- Venues
- 156
- Lost per machine
- $113,903 a year
- Adults per machine
- 145
Against the rest of Queensland
Brisbane loses less per adult than the QLD average. It's 88% of the average. Out of the 34 Queensland areas with figures of their own, it's the 27th highest.
Losses per adult a year, counting adults (18 and over) from the ABS's population estimates.
Losses over time
In 2025–26, people in Brisbane lost $869.8 million. In 2004–05 it was $379.7 million.
- A whole year, July to June
- This year so far
See the numbers
| Year | Lost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jul–Sep 2026 | $229.9 million | So far this year |
| 2025–26 | $869.8 million | |
| 2024–25 | $796.5 million | |
| 2023–24 | $719.2 million | |
| 2022–23 | $693.0 million | |
| 2021–22 | $591.2 million | |
| 2020–21 | $582.9 million | |
| 2019–20 | $367.5 million | |
| 2018–19 | $532.0 million | |
| 2017–18 | $528.7 million | |
| 2016–17 | $511.1 million | |
| 2015–16 | $506.7 million | |
| 2014–15 | $484.3 million | |
| 2013–14 | $448.0 million | |
| 2012–13 | $426.8 million | |
| 2011–12 | $423.3 million | |
| 2010–11 | $409.9 million | |
| 2009–10 | $396.0 million | |
| 2008–09 | $412.9 million | |
| 2007–08 | $405.4 million | |
| 2006–07 | $375.0 million | |
| 2005–06 | $398.3 million | |
| 2004–05 | $379.7 million |
Money lost in clubs and hotels each financial year (July to June). Prices have gone up over time too, so older dollars went further. In 2019–20, venues were shut from late March to June because of COVID-19, and those months have no figures.
A year's rent for
24,780 households
The $869.8 million lost here in a year would pay a whole year's rent for that many households. That's at the median new lease in Brisbane, which was $675 a week in the June quarter 2026.
Median weekly rent of new leases, all dwellings, from state rental bond data, over 52 weeks.
If it was saved instead
Take the $786 lost per adult in a year. Put it into savings a bit each week instead, and it grows to:
- After 5 years
- $4,351
- After 10 years
- $9,665
- After 20 years
- $24,080
That's at an example 4% interest. Check what your own spending could grow to.
How does a machine take this much? Have a go on the see-through pokie. It's a pretend machine that tells you what each spin really was, including the "wins" that pay back less than you bet. Or read how poker machines keep you playing.
Councils ranked close to Brisbane
- South Burnett $826 per adult
- Sunshine Coast $808 per adult
- Redland $779 per adult
- Southern Downs $752 per adult
More about living in Brisbane
See the rent people pay in Brisbane and the crime police record there, next to these pokies losses. Living in Brisbane
About these figures
Net losses are what venues kept after paying out wins, over one year (clubs and hotels 2025–26, not counting the casinos). Machine and venue numbers are counts at the end of that year. When an area has fewer than six venues with machines, Queensland keeps that month's losses private.
Source: Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, Gaming Machine Data by Local Government Areas, © State of Queensland, CC BY 3.0 AU; Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population by age and sex, CC BY 4.0.
Do you play the pokies yourself? The spend check adds up what a normal week costs you, and the spending diary keeps a private tally.
If gambling is causing problems for you or someone you know, free and confidential help is there 24/7 from Gambling Help Online or on 1800 858 858. Here's how to spot the signs.