The Department of Treasury and Finance cited a "secrecy" provision in the Gaming Control Act 1993 as its reason for rejecting an attempt by The Examiner to obtain the data under right to information, although the data could be released under ministerial discretion.

Poker machine data for venues is publicly available in Victoria and New South Wales, but not in Tasmania, which instead breaks down losses by local government area.

Independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb said the established social cost of poker machines in Tasmania meant the community had a right to know how much people were losing at each venue.

"The industry effectively wrote those rules, and it's a distinctly different scenario in Tasmania compared with the mainland," she said.

Pokies losses broken down by local government area in June, 2019:

"Our community deserves openness and transparency.

"This is an aspect of the Act that could be changed. That's our job in parliament. When legislation gets updated and improved, any part of the Act can be looked at."

Federal Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie obtained venue data in February last year for the 2015-16 financial year via a leak from Treasury, but that was the only time the figures have become publicly available.

MORE ON POKER MACHINES IN TASMANIA:

They showed 10 of the top 20 venues for losses were in the Federal Group's Vantage Hotel Group, including $4.46 million at Elwick Hotel. In Launceston, $2.64 million was lost at Mowbray Hotel, $2.2 million at the Kings Meadows Hotel and $2.14 million at the Olde Tudor Motor Inn.

Losses by local government area have not changed substantially since this data was released.

Mr Wilkie said the government did not want the public to know how much was being lost at each pokies venue.

Monthly pokies losses since 2012:

"The public has a right to know exactly how much money is harvested from the community by poker machines," he said.

"The state government is clearly wanting to hide the figures because it does not want local communities to know how much they've been fleeced."

Federal Group has exclusive ownership of Tasmania's 3530 poker machines under the monopoly deal of 1993, and leases them out to other venue owners in addition to its own venues.

The state government is reviewing this monopoly model with updated legislation planned for March next year, but anti-pokies advocates fear breaking up the monopoly could result in more competition and an incentive for venue owners to buy up more poker machine licences.

The government did not respond to a request for comment.