We've had a gutful of politicians failing to act on harm from the pokies. This is a critical moment for NSW Labor | Darcy Byrne
News Source
β’Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:00:33 GMT
π° What Happened
An opinion piece argues that the NSW Labor party conference is a critical moment to act on poker machine harm. The author says NSW has almost 90,000 poker machines, the most per person of any place on Earth. State-wide losses reached $9.3 billion last year and are on track to break $10 billion this year.
The author blames the 'extraordinary political power of the poker machine lobby' for stopping reform. He argues politicians have looked the other way for too long. The gambling industry has put private profits ahead of public health. He calls on Labor to finally take action at this weekend's conference.
π The Backstory
Poker machines, or 'pokies', are a huge problem in NSW. They are found in pubs and clubs across the state. Australia has the highest gambling losses per person in the world. Pokies are the biggest cause of gambling harm. Addiction ruins lives, breaks up families, and costs the community millions.
NSW Labor has promised to tackle gambling harm before but has not delivered. The poker machine lobby is very powerful and donates to both major parties. Reform has been promised many times but always gets watered down. The state conference is a chance for party members to push for real change. But the question is whether politicians will listen or give in to the lobby again.
π― Why It Matters
If you live in NSW, poker machines are in your local pub or club. Gambling losses affect everyone through higher costs for health and social services. This is about whether politicians listen to voters or to powerful industries.
An opinion piece argues that the NSW Labor party conference is a critical moment to act on poker machine harm. The author says NSW has almost 90,000 poker machines, the most per person of any place on Earth. State-wide losses reached $9.3 billion last year and are on track to break $10 billion this year.
The author blames the 'extraordinary political power of the poker machine lobby' for stopping reform. He argues politicians have looked the other way for too long. The gambling industry has put private profits ahead of public health. He calls on Labor to finally take action at this weekend's conference.
Poker machines, or 'pokies', are a huge problem in NSW. They are found in pubs and clubs across the state. Australia has the highest gambling losses per person in the world. Pokies are the biggest cause of gambling harm. Addiction ruins lives, breaks up families, and costs the community millions.
NSW Labor has promised to tackle gambling harm before but has not delivered. The poker machine lobby is very powerful and donates to both major parties. Reform has been promised many times but always gets watered down. The state conference is a chance for party members to push for real change. But the question is whether politicians will listen or give in to the lobby again.
If you live in NSW, poker machines are in your local pub or club. Gambling losses affect everyone through higher costs for health and social services. This is about whether politicians listen to voters or to powerful industries.