Every day in NSW $17 million is lost to pokies. They're designed to be addictive and are causing harm to individuals and communities.

The NSW government is addicted to pokies profits at the expense of people. 

Pokies are draining $6.4 billion from communities in NSW every year, with poorer communities being hit the hardest by the pokies pain. For many, this pain is felt through housing insecurity, homelessness, family breakdown, domestic violence, and suicide. 

We're calling on the NSW government to kick the habit and put people before pokies. As gambling losses continue to grow along with the political influence of gambling interests, there is an immediate need for bold action on gambling reform and to get poker machines out of our communities. 

Sign the petition to support our plan to put people before pokies:

1. $1 bet limits

Nearly 90% of recreational gamblers don’t bet more than $1 per spin, so most punters won’t even notice a difference. But $1 bet limits will help reduce the average maximum loss from more than $840 per hour to around $120 per hour. It will go a long way to helping problem gamblers curb their losses.

2. Give communities the right to say no to pokies venues 

We want local councils to have more control over the amount of pokies in their areas. Councils see up close and personal the devastating impact that pokies have on their communities, yet they are largely powerless to stop new machines and venues being approved. 

All applications to increase the number of pokies machines should require a Local Impact Assessment to be undertaken and require consent of local government.

3. Ban loyalty programs

Club loyalty programs, such as those that accrue points to encourage people to stay and gamble in exchange for non-monetary prizes and credits, are harmful and must be scrapped. We must remove features that are designed for addiction including losses disguised as wins, linked jackpots and free spins.

4. Transparent reporting of pokies data in real-time 

Currently in NSW, gambling losses are reported by local government area. We need frequent, clear reporting that shows gambling loss by venue. Data on poker machine losses by venue must be available in real-time and for free online so that communities are informed of the impact when making decisions.  

Join the campaign: sign the petition to call on the NSW government to put people before pokies.