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Read Full BioNew South Wales (NSW) reported record losses on poker machines (pokies) in Q3 2025, equating to $245 lost per adult resident for the three months. This represents a 9% increase from a year ago, placing the region among the world’s largest gambling losers.
The area with the most significant losses was Canterbury-Bankstown, where residents lost a total of AU$202.7 million ($134 million). The area has a population of around 290,000 adults, meaning each adult lost an average of around AU$699 ($454).
The area with the biggest per capita losers was Fairfield. Despite having around half the population (155,000), gamblers in the area racked up losses of AU$187.7 million ($125 million). That equates to around $1,211 lost per adult over just three months.
To put that into context, New Yorkers, who are the biggest sports bettors in the US, lost an average of $360 over 12 months last year. If the trend continues in Fairfield, residents would lose well over $4,000 per year.
‘Intensity of Play’ Triggers Huge Losses
The total number of electronic gaming machines in hotels and clubs in NSW increased only slightly last year, up from 87,632 to 87,839. Even still, this is comparable to the rest of the country combined. There are around 13 machines per person in the state. Additionally, although Australia has only about 1% of the world’s population, it has approximately 18% of the world’s poker machines.
Liquor & Gaming New South Wales (LGNSW), the state’s gambling regulator, stated that it is the intensity of play, rather than the number of machines, that is leading to the high losses.
A spokesperson for LGNSW said, “The latest quarterly figures highlighted some of the larger spending is occurring in areas with fewer machines, demonstrating that it is not necessarily the number of machines that are the issue, but the intensity of play.”
A study last year estimated that around 20% of Australians play pokies, with lotteries an even more popular form of gambling. Over 52% of residents reported playing a lottery at least once over the last year. LGNSW warns that machines present a greater risk to individuals developing gambling problems.
In response to the record losses, the NSW government has reintroduced a blackout period between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., where residents cannot use the poker machines. The LGNSW spokesperson added, “The Government is focused on targeting gambling addiction, which can have a devastating impact on the relatively small number of people it impacts, along with their loved ones.”
World’s Biggest Gamblers
Australia has led the way for some time as the world’s biggest gambling loser. Last year, the Grattan Institute released figures showing gambling losses per adult for 2022. Australians lost an average of AU$1,635 ($1,063).
Those losses far exceed the next highest region, with Hong Kong in second place at around $835 per person. The top 10 looks like this:
| Country | Gambling Loss per Adult (Approx. US$) |
|---|---|
| Australia | 1,063 |
| Hong Kong | 835 |
| Singapore | 767 |
| Ireland | 580 |
| United States | 526 |
| Italy | 441 |
| Bermuda | 419 |
| Norway | 391 |
| New Zealand | 380 |
| Iceland | 361 |
Based on these figures, the Grattan Institute recommended that the Australian government reduce the number of pokies and introduce a complete ban on gambling advertising.
Rather than ban gambling advertising, the government introduced a ban on teens using social media last month. Critics argue that this is a distraction tactic, and the campaign for a ban on social media was financed by gambling interest groups.
The figures from NSW have further intensified pressure on the government to take action. CEO of Wesley Mission, Rev Stu Cameron, said, “With NSW breaking gambling loss records every quarter, it is time for real political courage.”
