Facts and myths
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding gambling.
People often have different beliefs and superstitions surrounding gambling, winning, and luck. Beliefs might be influenced by culture.
It’s important to be realistic about your chances of winning. Having a balanced understanding of your odds can help protect you from gambling harm.
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Facts about gambling
in Queensland
Gambling has become a part of Australian culture.
In Queensland, it’s common to see people betting on sports, playing pokies, and visiting casinos.
Video games with gambling-like elements are also becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst children and teenagers.
Here are some facts about Queenslanders and gambling:
- Queensland gamblers spent over $56.4 billion in the 2022-2023 financial year.
- 3 in 4 Australian adults have gambled at least once in the past year
- 2 in 5 Australians gamble weekly
- 1 in 10 adults are at risk of gambling harm
- 18- to 30-year-olds are at the highest risk of gambling harm
- Men are at higher risk of gambling harm than women
- Australians spend and lose more on gambling per person than any other nation
- Over one million betting ads are aired on Australian television per year
- First Nations Peoples are 10 to 20 times more likely to experience gambling harm
- Culturally diverse people are 7 times more likely to gamble harmfully
- People from culturally diverse backgrounds, including First Nations people, are less likely to seek professional support
Gambling amongst children and teenagers
in Queensland
Online gambling, sports betting, and gaming apps have transformed gambling in Australia.
These platforms are accessible anytime, anywhere, and increasingly socially accepted. Children are being exposed to gambling earlier and more frequently than ever.
It’s critical for us to educate our children so they can have a balanced understanding of gambling, make healthy choices, and feel confident in seeking support.
- 4 in 5 Brisbane students play games with gambling-like elements
- Playing video games with gambling-like elements during childhood and teen years increases the likelihood of gambling in adulthood by 40%
- 2 in 5 teens have seen gambling advertised on social media
- Teenagers are 4 times more likely to experience gambling harm than adults
How can gambling harm impact me?
Gambling harm can impact all aspects of our lives.
Gambling harm…
- Impacts our mental health
- Can cause financial problems
- Increases psychological distress
- Often co-exists with drug or alcohol problems
- Impacts a person’s ability to connect with other people
- Can strain relationships with friends, family members, partners, and other loved ones
- Can create distressing family dynamics
- Significantly increases the likelihood of relationship breakdown, including divorce.
Odds of winning
Know your odds of winning before you play. Gambling should be for fun – not a way to earn money or to try winning every time.
Here are your odds of winning when gambling in Queensland:
1st division in Gold Lotto
1 in 8.1 million
Top prize on a poker machine (playing maximum lines)
up to 1 in 7 million
1st division in Powerball
1 in 134.5 million
The trifecta in a 13 horse race
1 in 1,716 The 10 number jackpot on Keno: 1 in 8.9 million
Top prize on an Instant Scratch-Its $5 Crosswords game
1 in 1.7 million
Busting common pokies myths
There are a lot of common misconceptions about how pokies work.
MYTH: There are hot machines
FACT: Poker machines, or pokies, don’t keep track of play results. Each play result is drawn from all possible combinations and is independent from previous plays. Each game is random. This means there are no “hot machines”.
MYTH: Venues know when a poker machine or jackpot will go off.
FACT: A venue doesn’t know when a poker machine or jackpot will go off. The software that is used to generate poker machines and jackpot prizes is based on a complex mathematical random number generator that ensures that prizes are awarded at random.
For deterministic jackpots, these must go off before reaching a certain level. However, knowing precisely when the jackpot will go off is still random. When a jackpot gets close to the prescribed level there is the knowledge that it will go off soon. However, deterministic jackpots are strictly monitored and controlled.
MYTH: Some machines are due to pay out.
FACT: Poker machines are designed to pay out randomly. They follow no set pattern and there is no way to predict the outcome of the game. There is no technique, no combination of button pushes, and no change in bet amounts that will have any effect.
MYTH: Venues turn off or switch variation on a poker machine when it’s “hot.”
FACT: Venues do not know when a poker machine is going to pay out due to the random nature of each spin. This means there is no such thing as a “hot” poker machine. The Return to Player (RTP) variations allowed for games in clubs and hotels are from 85% to 92% and for casinos it is 85% or higher. Poker machine games are programmed with multiple variations but there are strict conditions on when they can be changed. Sites are permitted a change once per month and all games with the same name and same denomination must have the same variation.
MYTH: Players can control the outcome of a game.
FACT: It’s impossible for players to control the outcome of a game or a machine. The outcome of each spin is determined as soon as players hit the play button.
MYTH: I’ve had a losing streak. If I keep playing, I’ll win eventually.
FACT: What you win on each play is not dependent on previous plays. The game will not compensate you with a big win if you have had lots of small losses. The results from previous plays are not used to determine future results. Your chance of winning a prize is the same for each play and your chance does not increase the longer you play.
MYTH: The poker machine has just paid out a big win; it’s not likely to pay out again for a while.
FACT: The chances of winning are always the same. The number of past wins and losses has nothing to do with when the next payout will come. All payouts are random – there is no pattern even if it looks like there is one.
MYTH: When the screen shows a series of near misses (plays where the symbols almost line up), the machine is about to pay out a big win.
FACT: There is no such thing as near misses. The symbols are just pictures that are displayed randomly during play. They are absolutely no indication that the machine is about to pay out.
MYTH: Poker machines are programmed to return a certain amount back to each player.
FACT: In Queensland clubs and hotels, poker machines are programmed to return between 85% and 92% to players.
An 85% return means that for every dollar bet on a machine, around 85 cents is returned to the gambler. This return is likely to be achieved over the life of the machine, usually 3–4 years. You cannot expect to receive 85 cents for every dollar you bet in a single gaming session. The money you place in the poker machine is the cost of the entertainment.
MYTH: Poker machines aren’t secure.
FACT: A poker machine’s hardware and software are tested against National Standards, which stipulate the technical requirements for an EGM to operate in Queensland. This information, along with other minimum technical requirements, can be obtained from the Office of Liquor and Gaming and Regulation website.
MYTH: Poker machines aren’t tested properly.
FACT: All poker machine’s hardware, software, artwork and mathematics are tested by the Office of Liquor and Gaming and Regulation’s Technical Unit or Licensed Testing Facility Operators (LTFOs). All testing is done against relevant National Standards and technical requirements for security, integrity and fairness. As a result rejection rates of products due to issues discovered during testing is frequently high, which would indicate that issues are caught on a regular basis before being sold into the Queensland marketplace.
MYTH: A poker machine can be tricked into winning by changing how much you bet each game.
FACT: Each outcome of a spin is randomly generated by a computerised Random Number Generator. Each spin is independent of previous spins, and the poker machine does not remember what happened in the last game. It all happens by chance.
MYTH: You can’t lose too much money on a one-cent machine.
FACT: Depending on how you play, you can lose a lot of money in a short amount of time. Let’s do the maths…
- In Queensland you can play 20 games per minute.
- If you play one cent per line, in a minute, you can spend 20 cents.
- If you play 10 cents per line, you will spend $2 in a minute.
- If you play 10 lines per spin at 10 credits per line, you will spend $20 in a minute.
How do pokies work?
“The house always wins” isn’t just a saying – it’s true.
When it comes to poker machines, or pokies, the house always comes out on top.
When you play the pokies, expect to lose. Gaming machines are designed to make money for the venue – not the player.
Here are some facts about poker machines.
- Poker machines use ways to enhance the hope of winning, like “free spins” designed to make you think you’re getting close to a bigger win and keep you playing for longer, but no matter what, the odds are the same
- The odds of winning the major prize or jackpot do not change from game to game or whether multiple lines are being played – the odds stay the same
What are poker machines?
In summary, poker machines are computers that run computer programs. The outcome of a spin is randomly generated by a program – a Random Number Generator (RNG).
If there is a win, you get paid credits. If not, the poker machine waits for the button to be pressed again. There is no strategy for winning on a poker machine. You can never predict how a play will end.
None of these factors will make a difference:
- The time of day
- How much you bet
- Past and future plays
- Losing or winning “streaks”
- Pressing buttons a certain way
- How long you have been playing
- The last time the machine paid out
- What you wear, such as a “lucky shirt”
- Anything you or anyone else does to the machine.
