Did you know that NSW is the poker machine capital of the world, that is, the entire planet, with 87,454 machines across the state inflicting a record $8.64 billion in gambling losses in 2024?
New data from Liquor and Gaming NSW shows a 6.3 per cent increase in net gaming profit among pubs and clubs since 2023, while those with gambling addiction lose out more than ever.
NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) CEO, Cara Varian, said today that if we lined up every poker machine in NSW, the line of devastation would reach from Parliament House on Macquarie Street to Lithgow Workies.
‘If you average out the appalling losses from poker machines, the people of NSW lose $166 million every week, or $47 million every weekend.
‘That’s not a few having a punt, it’s a crisis. This new data is appalling in the extreme, and if it’s not a wake-up call to our state’s leaders, I’m not sure what is.
The trail of destruction can be fixed
Varian said that trail of destruction can be fixed. ‘We just need the NSW Government to stop tinkering around the edges of reform and tackle the issue head-on.
‘We’ve seen the NSW Government take small steps towards reform, but they’re avoiding the big step that would actually help – mandatory cashless gaming.
‘The Independent Panel report explicitly recommended mandatory cashless gaming – if the Government doesn’t implement it now, we will never get ourselves out of this mess.’
Minns is only interested in votes and money. Lack of action makes this obvious in lots of areas makes this obvious. He even said during the drug inquiry that action could cost votes.
If they don’t do it in a club they will do it online
Sydney’s Star casino is in all sorts of trouble, time to let fold.
I wish I had the vocabulary to express the disdain I have for learning that Australia has a state that holds the WORLD record for the most poker machines – NSW with 87,454 to date. What an atrocious fact! To think in the 21st century we still have ‘floppy dicks’ continuing this obvious dealing and sinister using of human addictions as profit. Arggggh die already, so we can extinguish these archaic practices, once and for all. And to think they’re ‘trialing’ a new digital system to banish cash. Ha your greying old wrinkly minds are showing… Be gone capitalist pigs! Bring on The Donut Economy ✊
The losses represent an average of well over a thousand dollars per year for each adult in NSW. Some must be losing enormous amounts.
It is destroying people and their families. Being unable to face their financial ruin is likely to be a very common trigger for suicide.
There will never be cashless pokies clubs and pubs will fight it to the death.The government won’t stand up to them or increase the tax they pay.
PM Gillard, tried to do something about the massive damage poker machines were doing to families and it really was minimal and the club and pub billionaire industry along with the usual suspect corrupted LNP/Media brought hellfire down on her and the party. Between that and the Royal commission into the clergy pedophile protection rackets, it really pushed the deplorable conservatives party’s too far.
I doubt Labor will ever attempt to do anything again in the near future on poker machines they haven’t already done. I can still remember the banners up on all the usual suspect pro LNP pubs and hotels in the Tweed Shire, some even left them up for months after the legislation was withdrawn just to make sure it never happened again. You all know which pubs and clubs, do any of you still go to them?
As long as voters keep on electing people like Howard, Abbott, Morrison and Dutton etc, that are protected by a compliant suspect media, there’s really not much we can do about any of these things that so desperately need to be fixed?
It is well documented that is was Andrew Wilkie Independent MP who tried to do something about pokies.
He had an agreement with then PM Gillard to get action done but she walked away from it.
So here we are. some 10 years later, still talking and still the same No Guts governing.