Why Australia Has The Most Pokie Machines In The World?
Australia’s poker machine lobby group, the Gaming Technologies Association released a report on the World Count of Gaming Machines two years back. According to this report, the total number of gambling machines in Australia had increased considerably to 198,418 by 2013.With one poker machine for every 110 people in the nation; Australia has gained a prominent place in the list of top 10 nations for the highest number of poker machines. Countries comparable to Australia like its neighbor New Zealand and Queen’s Land Britain have rates nearly to one machine for every 300 people.
Over eighty percent of adult Australians use gambling as a means of entertainment and engage in some or other kind of gambling, pokie machines being the most popular choice.
In 1999, it was asserted by the productivity commission that Australia had 20% of the world’s fast playing gaming machines. This clearly reveals why it has emerged out to be the hottest destination for pokie lovers today. Pioneering technology that goes behind the making of these gaming machines plus the love for gambling Australians have has contributed a lot in making it one of the nations with the highest pokie machines in the world.
All states and territories in Australia have poker machines or pokies available at licensed venues, including online pokies sites. In fact, Australia has the sixth highest number of gaming machines in the world and majority of its adult population play on those machines weekly. Australian pubs, clubs and casinos operate more poker machines than Canada and Mexico combined.
Australia’s gambling environment is bringing in more Pokie Machines:
Greater addiction of the players to these poker machines is directly correlated to their increasing accessibility. Thus, it will not be wrong to say that the popular gambling environment of Australia is the most appropriate answer to why Australia has the highest number of pokie machines in the world. In fact, Australians tend to lose more on gambling than any other nation in the world and this is all because of the increasing number of poker machines. Australians lost $11 billion on pokie machines featured in hotels and clubs in only a year i.e. between 2013 and 2014.
The concept of poker machines has risen so immensely in the past few years that Federal Government along with other reputable organizations is raising voice against these machines. Anti pokies campaigns are at an all time high within the country and Federal and state ministers are coming together to take effective actions against it.