Pulling the plug on pokies in bid to curb gambling harmFarid FaridAAPMon, 1 December 2025 6:38AM
Tens of thousands of poker machines will be switched off at dawn to allow problem gamblers to revive and survive.
NSW is second only to Nevada, home to casino-lined Las Vegas, when it comes to the number of gaming machines with nearly 90,000 across the state.
More than 670 clubs will be mandated to shut down down all poker machines between 4am and 10am each day of the week.
“The six-hour shutdown is a harm minimisation measure intended to provide players with an important break in play, so patrons go home, get ‘out of the zone’ and reflect upon their behaviour,” the government announced on Monday.
A 2023 report into electronic gaming machines showed 70.5 per cent of gamblers are classified at high or moderate risk between 4am and 10am.
Gaming Minister David Harris said variations to a 2001 law were not fit for purpose for pubs and clubs to keep the lights on slot machines outside of mandated hours.
“We are striking the balance of addressing gambling harm while supporting an industry that contributes billions to the NSW economy and employs more than 150,000 people,” he said.
He noted operators would be given until March 31 to implement the changes.
The crucial tweaks come after Greens MP Cate Faehrmann introduced a bill to parliament in October that would remove the loophole allowing venues to sidestep shutdown hours.
“This is a win for common sense, public health and for the thousands of people harmed every year by predatory gambling,” she told AAP.
“Shutting down this loophole should have never taken this long … this exemption has been exploited for years by venues chasing every last dollar of gambling harm.”
She argued there is a “hell of a lot more to do” referring to mandatory cashless gaming.
The cashless card emerged as a key recommendation from a landmark 2022 NSW Crime Commission report that showed some $95 billion were being laundered by criminals.
It became a hotly debated talking point in the lead-up to the 2023 state elections with Labor hammered for being seen as too close to the gaming lobby.
Last month newly installed Liberals leader Kellie Sloane attacked Labor’s inaction on problem gambling, including a failed $3.4 million cashless gaming trial that only had 14 participants.
Profits hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, delivering $2.3 billion in tax revenue, with three in four machines found on the floors of clubs..
The figure is tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28.
A Grattan Institute analysis estimated NSW residents lost $1288 per adult on pokies in 2023, double the average of other states.
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