People in NSW lost a record $8.1 billion on poker machines last year, with the heaviest losses suffered in Sydney’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, new data reveals.
Anti-gambling group Wesley Mission also found the number of poker machines in NSW grew by almost 1000 to 87,545 in 2023, despite a state government commitment to reduce the figure.
The $8.1 billion lost was an increase of $29 million from the previous year, the group said, and the equivalent of $1000 for every adult and child in the state.
Wesley Mission chief executive Reverend Stu Cameron…
