New South Wales records $2.1 billion gambling loss in 96 days

January 26, 2023 9:08 am.by Omale Godwin

Data shows NSW loss $2.1 Billion in the last 3 months

Liquor and Gaming NSW, the New South Wales gambling regulator, has recorded quarterly figures showing NSW gamblers lost over $2.1 billion to the pokies in less than 100 days. This staggering number which happens to be highest recorded losses in the state’s history has been labeled “obscene” by anti-gambling activists and has caused a renewed call for gambling reforms in the state.

The loss rate of gamblers in NSW increased last year by 11% which means profits per day for pubs and clubs soared to $23.7 million from $21.3 million the other year. An analysis of the loss rate showed punters in NSW lose $1 million every hour and an average pokie machine gets $100,000 in money gambled and lost. Further interpretation showed almost half– 44%– of the total losses came from pokies that are situated in pubs and clubs. This is despite the fact that pubs and clubs only have 26% of the 86, 568 poker machines in the state.

Liquor and Gaming NSW proceeded to give a breakdown of the figure based on geography and it showed pokies in high-volume metro areas recorded the most losses while the suburbs came trailing behind, even though with significant figures. Sydney’s west recorded highest losses with the city of Sydney itself racking up $96 million, pokies in Canterbury-Bankstown making $182 millon, Fairfield making $174 million and those in Cumberland $124 million.

The regional areas including the Central Coast, Wollongong and Newcastle recorded gambling losses to the tune of $85 million, $53 million and $51 million respectively.

This figure is obscenely high to Reverend Stu Cameron, gambling reform advocate and CEO of Wesley Mission, who emphasised on the need to introduce the cashless gaming technology proposed by Premier Dominic Perrottet.

“People across NSW lost $2.4 million more a day to poker machines in pubs and clubs. Two billion dollars lost to pokies is unthinkable when people are struggling with escalating food, fuel and energy prices,” he said. “The predatory pokies industry is positioned in every town and suburb to take advantage of people who may be vulnerable. People experiencing financial hardship can be drawn into gambling, hoping for a win to afford groceries and pay the rent. However, any hope is an illusion,” the reverend added.

Other gambling reform advocates feel the appalling figures should be a wake-up call for a bipartisan support of cashless gaming cards in the state. Another expert, Rebecca Jenkinson, manager of the Australian Gambling Research Centre at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, notes the losses are coming from the same group of mostly vulnerable people, only that they are spending more.

Meanwhile, the state continues to be embroiled in a debate whether to accept the cashless gaming policy proposed by Premier Dominic Perrottet. While Labor party has come out to declare its intended gambling reform which majorly consists of reduction of pokie machines and an extended trial of the cashless gaming technology, the Premier and his party are yet to bring out a detailed action plan to effect their proposed gambling reforms.

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