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.
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.
Gambling reform advocates are increasing pressure on the NSW government to curb pokies, which the state has in greater numbers than any place except Nevada. A Wesley Mission-commissioned survey found public trust in the state government to stand up to the gambling industry fell from 35 per cent in May 2025 to 16 per cent in September 2026. Independent MP Alex Greenwich said the parliament had failed to take meaningful action this term. The Put Pokies in their Place campaign wants machines shut between midnight and 10am.
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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.
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.
Poker machine losses at City of Melbourne pubs and clubs have topped $100 million for the first time, reaching $107.2 million in the 2025-26 financial year. Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission data shows losses rising from $98.8 million the year before. Clocks at Flinders Street recorded the highest losses of any venue in the municipality, at close to $17.5 million. Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello links the rise to harm, including family violence and theft. The Alliance is calling on Victorian parties to commit to stronger harm-reduction measures before the state election.
