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Slots Boom in Australia (2 of 2)

New South Wales quickly became the epicenter of Australian slot machine gambling, and a major global destination for fans of this ever-popular type of play. In fact, NSW residents are so fond of the slots that their predilection has caused some state officials to worry that their citizens are becoming “problem” gamblers (read: slot machine addicts) in increasing numbers. Almost ten years ago, the Australian Productivity Commission released a report stating that the country was home to just about one hundred eighty-nine slot devices, accounting for about twenty-one percent of all gaming machines on Earth. Of that number, over fifty percent were in New South Wales, which is truly impressive. Although the concerns over the prevalence of slots in NSW has been pretty constant, state officials have proven loathe to do anything about their laws authorizing this type of gambling.

Queensland regulates the payout percentage of slot machines located in bars and clubs, mandating at least eighty-five percent return. Slot games located in land-based casinos have an even higher required rate of return, at ninety percent. The majority of Australian states have some sort of similar law.

Western Australia, as opposed to NSW, is quite strict. Slot machines in WU are only permitted in the Burswood Casino. Theirs is actually the toughest slot game policy in the nation, and dates back to a 1974 Royal Commission report that classified slot machine gambling as “repetitive and insidious… [with] many undesirable features.” It denounced slots for being addictive and “mindless,” for requiring no “thought, no skill or social contact.” It actually suggested banning the slots altogether.

Back to September 2008 Archive.