Queensland, which encompasses the majority of north-eastern Australia, is not only the second-largest state in Australia after Western Australia, but also one of the largest subdivisions in the whole globe. The coastal regions of the state include major metropolitan areas such as Brisbane, Cairns, and the Gold Coast. In reality, Queensland was the fastest-growing state in the country during the most of the 20th century, being eclipsed just recently by Western Australia.
Queensland also boasts one of the nation’s most active gaming industry. The state has four full-scale casino resorts, more than any other region in Australia. And if you’d rather play from the comfort of your own home, there are a plethora of online gambling options, ranging from legal bookmaking sites hosted by Australian corporations to a limitless number of foreign-run casino sites that allow Australians to play for real money.
State is dotted with four casinos.
The gambling business has been in Queensland for a very long time, but it has only lately taken on the appearance of the monster that it is today. In 1843, the first horse races were staged in Brisbane, and lotteries were established here almost a century later. With the exception of the 1960s growth of parimutuel wagering to off-track locations, the business stayed relatively unchanged throughout the most of the 21st century.
However, casino gaming started to gain popularity in the 1980s. Late in 1985, the Conrad Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast became the first gambling resort in the state. It was quickly followed by the Sheraton Townsville, and the period of gaming growth had started.
Both of these locations are still operational, but under new names. They were joined by two additional casinos in Brisbane and Cairns, bringing the total to four, more than any other territory or state in Australia. These resorts are currently operational:
Jupiter’s Golden Shore (Broadbeach)
Coral reef (Cairns)
Capital Casino (Brisbane)
The Ville Casino Resort (Townsville)
In addition to hotels, these resorts provide a range of facilities, including restaurants, bars, and conference centers. In some instances, the ownership and titles of these casinos are still changing; for example, the Jupiters casino will soon be renamed The Star, Gold Coast.
Obviously, gambling occurs much beyond these typical resorts. In 1992, it became permissible for licensed clubs, pubs, and hotels to begin running pokies, resulting in a rapid proliferation of machines across the state of Queensland. Within a year, there were over 9,000 poker machines in the state; by 2016, the number had increased to over 42,000, generating over $180 million every month.
Golden Casket Lottery Corporation is the name of Tatts Group’s Queensland-branded version of “the Lott,” Australia’s national lottery system. Tatts took over operation of the lottery in 2007 and now provides a broad range of games, from local jackpots like Gold Lotto to national competitions like Oz Lotto and Powerball.
As previously indicated, the state also has a lengthy history of racing. Racing Queensland controls all sorts of races in Queensland, including thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound events. Brisbane and the Gold Coast host some of Australia’s most prestigious horse races, including the annual $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm Racecourse in June.
Online Gambling Is Partially Governed
The fact that certain online choices are approved by federal and state governments while others cannot be given at all is one of the most intriguing features of Australian gaming. Licensed bookmakers may accept sports wagers not just in their retail locations, but also on their internet. The federal government has issued gambling licenses to several companies, including William Hill, Unibet, Ladbrooks, Sportsbet, and Betfair.
However, the online products are subject to certain minor limitations. In-play wagers, on the other hand, are only possible through phone or in-person. Certain companies have devised ingenious workarounds for this, allowing bettors to make these wagers on their mobile devices by using some “phone” functionalities, thereby enabling in-play betting over the internet. The government will likely address this loophole in the near future, however.