A Geelong woman has shared her three decades of gambling on poker machines during Gambling Harm Awareness Week, which runs from 24 to 31 October. Punters lost more than $152 million in the City of Greater Geelong and Borough of Queenscliffe in 2025-26, the highest amount recorded locally. Jan, a recovering gambler, said she hopes her story will show others that recovery is possible. After reaching out to Meli's Gambler's Help, she said she regained control of her life.
Gambling Harm Awareness Week, running from 24 to 31 October, highlights how gambling can harm individuals, families and communities. Gambling advertising and gambling-like features such as loot boxes now reach young people through the apps and games they use daily. Research suggests repeated exposure can normalise gambling before young people are legally allowed to gamble. More than one in four Victorians aged 18 to 24 who gamble experience gambling-related harm. Parents are encouraged to discuss gambling content with young people and consider parental controls and purchase approvals. Free, confidential support is available from Gambler's Help services.
Western Australians gamble about as much as people in other states, but experience far fewer gambling problems. Research suggests the key difference is access to poker machines, which are largely banned in WA outside a single Perth casino. Pokies are used by 2% of Western Australians, compared with an average of 9% elsewhere. The authors argue that cutting pokie numbers only slightly would not reduce harm, and that other measures such as reducing late-night opening hours may help.
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Moree Plains Shire has 184 poker machines across six clubs and hotels, but official figures do not show how much money is lost locally. Government figures group Moree Plains with neighbouring shires. GambleAware Hunter and New England team leader Thomas O'Donnell said warning signs include falling behind on bills and selling personal items. He urged families to start open conversations and said free, confidential counselling is available, including over the phone or online.
Victorian coroner Paul Lawrie has found that online sports betting was the direct and paramount cause of the 2021 suicide of 22-year-old Kyle Hudson of Werribee. Hudson gambled $895,733 through Sportsbet and other platforms over four years. Lawrie said betting companies should not be solely responsible for monitoring gambling harm. He recommended the federal government consider restrictions on online gambling advertising and set up a national online gambling regulator.
A Victorian coroner has found that online sports betting was the main and direct cause of the suicide of Kyle Hudson, a 22-year-old from Werribee. Hudson wagered $895,733 with various betting companies after opening a Sportsbet account on his 18th birthday, and died in 2021. Coroner Paul Lawrie said Hudson had no history of mental illness or drug and alcohol problems. He recommended the federal government consider banning gambling advertising and inducements for young customers, and creating a national gambling data vault. Sportsbet said it would consider the findings and remained committed to strengthening consumer protections.
Every poker machine player in Canberra will need an identity-verified account and a spending limit before gambling, under a bill introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly. Gaming Reform Minister Marisa Paterson introduced the Gaming Machine (Harm Prevention and Reduction) Amendment Bill 2026, which also restricts cash withdrawals and sets a timetable to cut poker machine authorisations to no more than 1000 by 2045. The system will link to the self-exclusion register, and ATMs will be banned from venues with poker machines. Reduced operating hours are scheduled to begin on 1 July 2027.
Comedian Shaun Micallef will attend a free community screening of his documentary Going for Broke at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville on Thursday 29 October. The evening includes selected clips, a panel discussion and a question and answer session. Hosted by Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay councils and IPC Health, the event runs from 6pm to 8pm and explores gambling harm through lived experience, research and community voices. A qualified counsellor will be on site, and bookings are essential.
Tasmania's treasurer Eric Abetz has defended the state's proposed pokie reforms, saying any improvement in harm minimisation is better than sticking with the current system. The government previously committed to implementing a mandatory pre-commitment card, but dropped the policy in favour of different measures. Anti-gambling advocates have criticised the reforms as 'cowardly' and said they would have minimal harm-minimisation benefits. Mr Abetz said the reforms were based on all available evidence and were a sensible, middle-of-the-road decision.
Three people who defrauded a Canberra business of about $500,000 have been sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court. Ricky John Byrne, Steven Quilter and Lisa Quilter were convicted over years of fraud against POPES Electrical & Data Supplies. The court heard the business closed two stores and cut its workforce in half. Gambling and drug addiction were among the motives, the court heard. All three were given intensive corrections orders, and reparations were ordered to be paid to the business.
A former RMIT technical services coordinator, Mathew James Cosgrove, has pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to obtaining financial advantage by deception. Prosecutors say he spent about $172,000 on a university-issued Commonwealth Bank credit card over three months in 2024, largely through gaming and digital gift card transactions. Cosgrove told the court he was depressed and had turned to online gambling during financial hardship, and he claimed weak internal processes around the card. He acknowledged knowing what he was doing.
Banyule Council is encouraging residents to talk openly about gambling harm during Gambling Harm Awareness Week, which runs from 24 to 31 October. Mayor Alison Champion said people often suffer gambling harm in private and should know that free, confidential help exists. Gamblers Help Northern offers support to people affected by their own gambling or someone else's. BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, lets people block access to phone and online gambling providers. The council says more than $165,000 is lost on gaming machines in Banyule each day across nine local venues.
MPs, advocacy groups and local community groups have signed an open letter to the NSW Parliament and Premier Chris Minns calling for an end to greyhound racing in NSW. The letter says more than 600 greyhounds have died on NSW tracks since July 2017, and 25,000 have been injured. It also cites 5796 recorded rule breaches, including drugging and animal cruelty offences. The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds plans a protest at Wentworth Park on Friday 16 October, the day of the venue's last greyhound race.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform and three councils are urging all parties contesting the Victorian state election to commit to mandatory carded play with binding loss limits. They also want poker machine venues closed between midnight and 10am. Victorians lost a record $3.318 billion on electronic gaming machines in 2025–26, up 5.5 per cent. Brimbank recorded the highest council loss in the state at $185.35 million. Hume recorded its highest annual loss on record at $157.16 million. The Liberal Party said it aims to reduce gambling harm but did not directly address the two reforms.
Australians spend $30 billion annually on gambling, with young men increasingly betting for social reasons rather than to win. The ABC visited a Bunbury pub during the finals series, where most patrons had bets on games regardless of team support. Experts say gambling is now deeply tied to male social identity, with sports betting uniquely integrated into expressions of manhood. The federal government's upcoming gambling reforms include an opt-out service for online betting advertising, but experts push for more targeted measures to address the social drivers of gambling's growth among young men.
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A Northern Territory bill proposes deposit caps, a ban on inducements, and restrictions on advertising for online gambling companies. The bill, introduced by independent MLA Justine Davis, would impact 50 online bookmakers licensed in the NT, including Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, and Bet365. The gambling industry's peak body, Responsible Wagering Australia, criticises the proposals as a 'blunt, one-size-fits-all approach' that could push Australians towards illegal offshore gambling sites.
Wollongong residents are losing over $240 million annually on poker machines, with $54 million lost in the first quarter of 2026 alone. Community Industry Group warns that the true cost of gambling extends beyond financial losses, impacting families, mental health, and community wellbeing. The Illawarra region faces significant gambling harm, with increased demand for emergency relief and support services. Advocates call for gambling reform, including self-exclusion programs and operating hour restrictions, to protect vulnerable individuals and communities. Gambling Harm Awareness Week is observed from October 19-25.
