NSW Residents Lose Record $9.3B on Poker Machines

0:00The latest headlines, weather, and stories right here on Sydney News today. New South Wales residents lost a record $9.3 billion on poker machines last year, and 8% jump from the year before. The biggest hits came in areas like Canterbury Bankstown, with $785 million gone, Fairfield at 720. Million and Cumberland at $535 million, lobbing from the pubs and clubs industry has slowed down promise reforms, even after a government panel released harm reduction ideas in December. 2024. Officials say a response to those recommendations is still months away, despite earlier promises from the gaming minister. Reform advocates point to real pain behind the numbers, by family struggling with bills, skip to meals, and rising domestic violence. The gaming minister called the daily losses of $26 million confronting, but stressed context, noting many players are 18 to 24-year-olds living at home

1:00with extra disposable cash. A recent study from Australian National University researchers found a strong link between poker machine numbers and police reported domestic violence, especially in Sydney suburbs and northern New South Wales. Over the past three years, total losses hit $27 billion, enough to fund major projects like a new rail line or several hospitals. Pressure keys building for action, but with industry pushback and slow government moves, the cycle of harm looks set to continue in these. Communities.