Mark Speakman
NSW Leader of the Opposition
Kevin Anderson
Shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing
The latest Liquor and Gaming NSW data shows poker machine gamblers in New South Wales lost $2.3 billion dollars between April and June this year. That’s more than $1 million every single hour and almost $25 million every day. Losses are up by almost nine per cent compared with last year.
Since Labor came to office there are now almost 600 more poker machines across the state, bringing the total to 87,908 machines. Losses per machine continue to climb well above the rate of inflation.
While families are struggling with the cost of living, the Minns Labor Government is hooked on gambling revenue. The 2025-26 Budget banks on $2.61 billion dollars from pokies taxes and it forecasts almost $3 billion by 2029.
In 2022 the NSW Crime Commission called for a cashless gaming system to crack down on money laundering and reduce harm. In 2023 the Coalition created a comprehensive plan with cashless gaming, based on the NSW Crime Commission report, to tackle problem gambling and crime head on.
But after three budgets and over two years in power, Labor has done nothing except media releases and ignore evidence. The government has also walked away from its promise to remove 9,500 machines, saying it would make no difference.
At Budget Estimates, Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris offered prepared excuses and blame game that sounded like a bad movie script. He brushed off the costs of harm and claimed reducing machines would not help. Families and communities are the ones paying the price.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said the Government has no plan to reduce machines, no plan to reduce losses and no plan to protect families.
“They have surrendered our state’s wellbeing to pokies profits. The Government is addicted to gambling revenue,” Mr Speakman said.
Shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing Kevin Anderson said Minister Harris turned Estimates into theatre.
“Chris Minns and his Government are proving to have no interest and no urgency when it comes to delivering the gaming reform agenda they promised at the last election,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Minister’s answers in Estimates brought little hope for those suffering across NSW, because the longer the Government waits the longer the harm continues.”
Source - https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/resources/quarterly-gaming-reports/clubs-gaming-machine-data