Cowboys Leagues Club wants to more than triple poker machines in a Logan community its own impact statement describes as highly vulnerable to gambling harm.
The report states the Holmview area population is “at high risk of financial or emotional stress from problem gambling compared to the benchmark”.
“This risk is reduced by the low accessibility of gaming machines and gaming venues located within the LCA,” it says.
Approval would increase machines within that area from 45 to 145 and lift density from 26 to about 82–83 per 10,000 adults.
The report nevertheless predicts “no foreseeable significant increase” in problem-gambling rates.
Logan mayor Cr Jon Raven said the proposal did not stack up.
“The North Queensland Cowboys want to come to Logan and take the money and run,” Cr Raven said.
“They’re proposing 100 pokie machines in Holmview. That will pull $13 million out of the people of Logan’s pockets and they only want to give $100,000 back in the first year.
“That’s not good enough.”
Cowboys Leagues Club Limited has applied to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation to operate the machines at a proposed $22 million venue at Holmview Central shopping centre.
Its application lands in a city where players lost a record $298.01 million on poker machines during 2025–26—more than $816,000 a day and 10.3% more than one year earlier.
The figures record losses at Logan venues, rather than the addresses of individual gamblers.
The statement also says Logan losses per adult were 17% above its South East Queensland comparison and losses per approved machine were 41% higher.
It does not say whether those figures influenced the selection of Holmview.
Instead, it describes the venue as Cowboys’ first in South East Queensland and part of a strategy to expand its reach.
But it identifies only 59 existing Cowboys Leagues Club members across the three postcodes covering the formal catchment and says the number of other local supporters is unknown.
“The club will also provide support to the Cowboys NRL operations,” it says, without disclosing how much Holmview revenue would fund the NRL team, North Queensland programs or central operations.
“We’d never even heard from the Cowboys until they put in this pokie palace application,” Cr Raven said.
“They’re literally just picking our pocket and sending it back to Townsville.”
A redacted copy of the 124-page statement removes the projected gaming-revenue table, consultation responses and several financial schedules.
Cr Raven said the complete report forecast more than $13 million in annual gaming revenue.
Elsewhere, the statement budgets $100,000 in first-year local support, $1.65 million over five years and $5.65 million over 10 years.
“That is pathetic,” Cr Raven said.
“It doesn’t pass the pub test. We deserve better.”
The applicant forecasts approximately 100 full-time, part-time and casual positions, almost $2.9 million in first-year wages and $4.08 million in goods and services that “may be locally sourced if available”.
The report says local workers and suppliers would be used ‘where possible’, but makes no binding commitment that the jobs, procurement or construction work would remain in Logan.
“When it’s 100 pokie machines, that kind of impact far outweighs those benefits,” Cr Raven said.
“The use is appropriate. It’s just the intensity of that use that we have a problem with.”
“It’s too much for the community to bear and the impact will be significant,” Cr Raven said.
The report is less precise about financial harm.
If undetected problem gamblers use the venue, “it is highly likely these individuals and families will suffer some economic loss”, it says.
Those losses could not be quantified.
The report nevertheless determines the net economic impact is positive “based on the quantifiable information available”.
Prospective construction, employment, purchasing and community benefits therefore receive dollar figures, while acknowledged losses to affected families remain unquantified before the report concludes the net economic impact is positive.
State guidelines require community impact statements to take a “balanced and complete view” and explain their methods, assumptions and limitations.
The report also says existing risk is reduced by low machine access and “future population growth in the area from a potentially different demographic”.
It identifies residential development but does not demonstrate how future residents would differ or why they would be less vulnerable.
Instead, it relies heavily on responsible-gambling controls, saying they would “help negate any incidents of problem gambling”.
Logan City Council approved the underlying development in October 2025, including a gaming room, sports bar and TAB, but did not determine the number of machines.
Neither the gaming nor associated liquor application has been approved. The State Government will decide after consultation closes on Monday 7 September.
Residents can respond directly to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation or through Logan City Council’s Have Your Say page.
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