Gambling is at a record high after JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments continue to be spent on poker machines.
Since venues reopened, $293 million was spent in Queensland in July, with similar figures every month since.
Lifeline Darling Downs and Southwest Queensland CEO Derek Tuffield said it’s common for people to gamble more in times of a natural disaster, or this case, pandemic.
CQ University Professor Matthew Rockloff said it’s not surprising people are putting some of their benefit payments towards gambling, as for some, more money than usual has become available.