{"id":178165,"date":"2025-06-12T10:34:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T10:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/178165\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T10:34:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T10:34:12","slug":"nsw-failing-to-reduce-gambling-harm-from-pokies-auditor-generals-report-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/178165\/","title":{"rendered":"NSW failing to reduce gambling harm from pokies, auditor-general&#8217;s report shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">A leading charity has described the system governing poker machines in New South Wales as &#8220;broken&#8221; in the wake of a damning auditor-general&#8217;s report into the effectiveness of gaming machine regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">NSW Auditor-General Bola Oyetunji has tabled a performance audit into the regulation of gaming machines at state parliament.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The report revealed state agencies Liquor and Gaming NSW and the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) had failed to focus its gaming strategy on harm minimisation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;The Department and ILGA regulate gaming machines in a structured and consistent manner but are not supporting harm minimisation outcomes effectively,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  the report said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">It went on to say: &#8220;The Department has developed a regulatory strategy that sets out its priorities clearly and has communicated this to stakeholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;However, the strategy does not have a sufficient focus on the areas that are considered high-risk for gambling harm and does not set any targets for reducing harm associated with gaming machines.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Gaming machine losses and the social costs of gambling harm continue to be disproportionately concentrated in socio-economically disadvantaged communities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>More pokies in NSW than any other jurisdiction<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Wesley Mission chief executive officer Reverend Stu Cameron said the audit&#8217;s findings were of no surprise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;While we did not need an audit to know the system is broken, as frontline services have been saying this for years, now it is in black and white,&#8221; Reverend Cameron said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;The NSW government has done next to nothing to reduce gambling harm while clubs and hotels pocket billions.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Reverend Stu Cameron stands in front of a camera doing an interview\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/d56c856d85a47649375c20a6e6fcd397\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Reverend Stu Cameron accuses the government of doing &#8220;next to nothing&#8221; to reduce gambling harm. (Facebook: Stuart Cameron)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The audit&#8217;s findings include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU\">\n<li>The number of poker machines in NSW has increased since the Minns government took office in 2023 despite a downward trend during the COVID pandemic;<\/li>\n<li>The ILGA does not routinely review gaming licences once issued;<\/li>\n<li>Some high-risk venues are operating with outdated, unchecked licence conditions, along with late night gaming;<\/li>\n<li>The top 10 clubs for poker machine gambling are all in Western Sydney;<\/li>\n<li>There is a focus on signage and other regulatory requirements, rather than addressing the culture of certain venues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The audit report also found the state had significantly more poker machines than all other Australian jurisdictions combined, despite legislative provisions that aim to reduce the number of machines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The audit report said there were only 12 gambling inspectors and all were based in Sydney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;While most of the regular inspections are done in Greater Sydney, nine of the 10 suburbs with the highest number of people accessing GambleAware services in 2023-24 were located outside Greater Sydney,&#8221; it stated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Labor has broken every promise&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said people were promised action by Mr Minns when he came into power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;In Western Sydney, entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines, Premier Chris Minns and Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris are nowhere to be found,&#8221; Mr Speakman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">He added that it went deeper than &#8220;stopping people from having a flutter&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;The auditor-general&#8217;s report showed harm is rising, inspections are not happening, and Labor has broken every promise it made,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mark Speakman in blue jacket and white shirt against blue curtain speaks in 4 microphones\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/69ab18d739d8d8a48dfa573c54ba0192\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Opposition Leader Mark Speakman says the report shows that harm from poker machines is rising. (ABC News: Timothy Ailwood)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Greens MP and spokesperson for gambling harm reduction Cate Faehrmann said the report showed regional areas, including Wollongong and Newcastle were not being given the proper attention.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;There is significant harm that is occurring in the regions and it is clear the government is largely ignoring that problem,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  Ms Faehrmann said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">She said the government was failing in its regulatory duty to reduce harm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;They are tinkering around the edges rather than genuine measures to reduce gambling harm,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Entire regions could go months or years without a single inspection.<strong>&#8220;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Greens MP and spokesperson for gambling harm reduction Cate Faehrmann talks in state parliament\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/61c06d9e27ce4b1a906fc58876f711f3\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">The Greens Cate Faehrmann says the impact on regional communities has been ignored. (Supplied: NSW Legislative Council)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">NSW Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris has welcomed the report, with the relevant agencies &#8220;accepting its recommendations&#8221;, but blamed the previous Coalition government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;The report looked at the period 2019 to 2024, which was largely under the former Coalition government.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">He said reiterated the government&#8217;s commitment to harm minimisation, saying it had already implemented a number of initiatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Reverend Cameron said the audit showed a public health crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;If people were being harmed this badly by alcohol, drugs or unsafe roads, action would be swift. This is a public health crisis and it needs to be treated as such.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A leading charity has described the system governing poker machines in New South Wales as &#8220;broken&#8221; in the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":178166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4317],"tags":[73452,73454,6732,73449,73450,105,218,73446,67180,73448,73451,36836,53230,73453,73447,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-178165","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-are-there-too-many-poker-machines-in-nsw","9":"tag-forfeiture-rates","10":"tag-gambling","11":"tag-gambling-harm-reduction","12":"tag-gambling-losses","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-mental-health","15":"tag-nsw-auditorgeneral","16":"tag-nsw-government","17":"tag-performance-audit","18":"tag-poker-machine-addiction","19":"tag-poker-machines","20":"tag-pokies","21":"tag-reducing-cash-limits","22":"tag-regulation-of-gaming-machines","23":"tag-uk","24":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114669949162168907","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}