Record pokies losses in 2023 as NSW waits for real reform

With the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) releasing data on losses, tax revenue and machine numbers across venues every six months, the latest half yearly LGA report shows Cowra Shire residents lost $3,977,817.76 to 140 machines, across six premises.

The state government accrued $589,065 in tax in the same six month period.

Hotel data includes neighbouring Cabonne Shire so has not been included in this analysis.

General Manager of Wesley Mission Jim Whackett says that in spite of losing a venue, Cowra's poker machine losses have only risen since the last report.

"We're not anti gambling, we're anti gambling harm," Mr Whackett said.

"There are basic things you can do to rein in the impact that losses like we're seeing are having on the community; introducing cashless gambling, setting mandatory loss limits, changing the opening hours of gaming rooms.

"But the industry's been fighting tooth and nail, because it's just been rivers of gold for decades."

Mr Wackett says that the terminology used to describe those affected by gambling hides that it affects entire communities, and is 'predatory' by design.

"We want to avoid the industry term, 'problem gambler' which puts the onus on the individual." he said.

"We think the industry is a predatory one it creates a machine designed to be addictive. We can't call that 'problem gambling' we need to call it 'people experiencing gambling harm.'

With many communities centring around the use of a club, Mr Wackett wanted clubs to examine their role in the community.

"The clubs in particular - they were set up by members of the community to serve the interests of the community. That was a great and noble thing in forties, fifties and sixties. But you've gone from machines like the 'one armed bandit' where you put a penny in, to these massive machines designed by behavioural psychologists that give you dopamine hits even when you lose, let alone when you win."

Clubs were made to serve their communities, they're preying upon their communities. Take it on board and reclaim your clubs." said Mr Wackett.

At the end of 2023, NSW had 87,545 poker machines in pubs and clubs, 895 more machines than at the end of 2022 despite a commitment from the NSW Government to reduce the number of poker machines in the state. The NSW bi-annual report referenced above, 65,057 of these machines in clubs.

Wesley Mission CEO Rev Stu Cameron says the record losses highlights the need for the NSW Government to act urgently on introducing reforms that will reduce the record levels of gambling harm being experienced by the people of NSW.

"While we wait for the outcome of the current pre-implementation testing of cashless gambling in NSW, there are a range of reforms the government can introduce this year that will have an immediate impact on reducing harm.

"The enforcing of signage bans in NSW had a genuine impact on reducing harm. Our Community Attitudes survey in October 2023 revealed that 25% of people who gamble on poker machines at least once a month said they were less likely to gamble following the removal of VIP Lounge signage".

Losses to the 65,057 poker machines in clubs in 2023 amounted to $4.57 billion, a drop of approximately $35 million on the previous year.

Losses across all venues remain concentrated in the state's most disadvantaged LGAs, 1.Canterbury-Bankstown, 2.Fairfield, 3.Cumberland, 4.Sydney and 5.Blacktown. With data showing increased losses year on year for the fourth quarter of 2023, with a telling shift in venue type from clubs to hotels.

Cowra was not in the top 10 LGAs for profits, with Cowra Bowling Club and Cowra Services Club ranked 236^th and 317^th respectively out of 1014 clubs in the OLGR report for net profit from pokie losses.

Jim Whackett was direct: "Clubs were made to serve their communities, they're preying upon their communities. Take it on board and reclaim your clubs."