Queensland Casino and Card Room Gaming 1j3d5x

Queensland has several casinos. The Conrad Jupiters Casino was the first to open in 1985.

Smoking was banned from all Queensland pubs, clubs and outdoor eateries in July 2006 under the nation's toughest anti-smoking law. The smoking ban affected any liquor-licensed venue, including casinos and poker-machine areas in pubs. Casinos may have designated outdoor smoking areas.

Queensland also has licensed clubs, hotels and taverns that operate gaming machines under the provisions of the Gaming Machine Act 1991. Queensland licenses two companies, Maxgaming and Odyssey Gaming Technology, to operate more than 44,000 gaming machines in almost 1,300 clubs, hotels and taverns.

In an effort to combat problem gambling, a new poker machine called "Blue Gum" was introduced on a trial basis at several clubs in Queensland. The machine features special messages that encourage players to gamble responsibly and allow players to bank any wins. The machine also includes an alarm clock that allows players to set the amount of time they wish to play.

Another part of the effort to curb problem gaming was placing a moratorium on new club and hotel poker machines. There were a little more than 19,300 machines when the moratorium was imposed in 2008. The freeze was lifted in 2012 when the government needed the tax revenue provided by gaming.

In January 2009, a new law went into effect making it illegal to operate slot machines and serve alcohol before 10 a.m.

In December 2010, Tabcorp Holdings announced it had reached a deal with the Queensland government to enhance its expansion plans by doubling the value of its Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast expansion to AUD 350 million and increase its Brisbane expansion to AUD 260 million, including a new hotel. In return, the government allowed the company an extra 500 electronic gaming machines, 50 more table licenses, and a reduced tax threshold for interstate and international gamblers. The renovations, which began in 2011, were completed in 2012.