Queensland's biggest bookmaker Lindsay Gallagher will scale back his business and no longer field at Brisbane race meetings.

Gallagher, who has been the leader of the Brisbane ring for the past 15 years and has been a bookmaker for four decades, did not field at Doomben on Wednesday.

He has also been one of two bookmakers who usually field at Ipswich.

Gallagher said he was disillusioned with the way on-course bookmaking was going in Queensland.

"Basically, I have better things to do with my life than play to an empty house," Gallagher said.

"It just seems the management have not woken up to the fact of the way things are for bookmakers.

"I will keep my bookmaker's licence but only field at the Sunshine Coast on a Sunday. As of today I am no longer going to field at Brisbane or Ipswich."

The main Brisbane ring is now likely to be reduced to four or five bookmakers each Saturday.