What it does
The Gaming Machine Act 1991 (Qld) is Queensland's comprehensive statute regulating gaming machines (poker machines) in the State. It establishes a licensing system for operators, suppliers, and service providers; specifies the conditions under which machines may be operated; creates a monthly gaming tax; prescribes harm minimisation obligations; and sets up a substantial investigation and enforcement regime. The Act's object is stated in section 1A: to ensure that, on balance, the State and the community as a whole benefit from gaming machine gambling, achieved by allowing gaming subject to a system of regulation that protects players, ensures integrity and fairness, tests probity of participants, and minimises potential harm.
The Act has 12 Parts and over 490 sections. It operates through the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming, who issues licences, makes guidelines and standards, assesses compliance, appoints inspectors, and exercises a wide range of regulatory discretions. Two-pass analysis has been used across all 12 Parts.