#pokermachines — Public Fediverse posts

People, mostly from working class suburbs, lost a record $9.3 billion on the pokies in the past year.

That's in New South Wales alone!

"Punters lost a record $9.3 billion on NSW poker machines last year – a surge of 8 per cent on the previous 12 months – as a sophisticated lobbying effort by the gambling industry stalls progress on political pledges to reduce harm in suburbs across Sydney.

"Newly released figures reveal $785 million was lost in the Canterbury-Bankstown area alone, as well as $720 million in Fairfield, $535 million in the Cumberland local government area, $420 million in central Sydney and $355 million on the Central Coast.
...
"The losses represent about $179 million each week – or $1.1 million per hour – with most of the damage occurring in some of Sydney’s most disadvantaged suburbs, according to the Liquor and Gaming NSW report.

"The state government’s independent panel on gambling reform produced a series of harm minimisation recommendations in December 2024 which were savaged by the pubs and clubs industry as going too far, and by reform advocates as not doing enough."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/179m-a-week-or-1-1m-per-hour-the-shocking-numbers-crushing-sydney-20260320-p5qscx.html

#auspol #nswpol #gaming #gambling #pokies #pokermachines