Just last month, Australian physicians expressed serious concerns regarding social media influencers bombarding ordinary citizens with content that glamorizes pokies, while failing to speak about the potential risks.
Now, new data speaks of South Australians losing more than $1 billion on these machines in the past financial year, marking the highest figure ever recorded in the region. As expected, gambling harm experts have issued a new set of warnings for the problem that appears to be “spiralling out of control.”
Up $53M From Last Year
As gaming machine revenue in 2024–25 jumped almost $53 million compared to the previous year, the state government pocketed more than $453 million while venues shared nearly $555 million.
Losses hit regional areas particularly hard, including $24 million in the Mount Gambier and Grant council areas and $20.7 million in Whyalla.
Martin Thomas of the Alliance for Gambling Reform said pokies losses across Australia were now reaching $32 billion annually.
“While that causes a huge amount of financial loss and harm, it’s also causing terrible social harm across our community,” the expert who joined the national advocacy alliance from a consultant position before being appointed chief executive officer in June 2024 added.
Thomas also noted that, when times get particularly rough, some are more inclined to gamble despite the risks, as their “decision-making” abilities are impaired. This makes dopamine hits, windfall games, and the idea of “escapism” more attractive.
Pokies, Still in the Lead
Monash University associate professor Charles Livingstone said that pokies continue to remain the most popular form of gambling, despite the massive growth of online betting.
The professor also warned that the real cost was far greater than the money lost. “The most recent study in Victoria estimated that the social costs from gambling [in Victoria] are around $14 billion a year, which is almost three times the amount that people gamble,” he said.
Across the south-east of SA alone, poker machines drained $42 million from communities. Thomas believes that regional pubs, clubs, and sporting venues have a lot to do with it, as they increase the chances of residents being exposed to gambling.
Left-wing green political party the Australian Greens has asked for a complete elimination of pokies in SA by 2030. Greens Member of Legislative Council Robert Simms labelled them a “scourge on our state,” linking them to family violence and crime.
“It’s completely unethical for the state government to continue to use poker machines to raise revenue when they have such a devastating impact on our community,” he said.
However, Australian Hotels Association SA chief executive Anna Moeller argued pokies revenue kept many venues afloat. “They act as cross-subsidisation… particularly important now where we’ve got a cost of living crisis,” she said.
Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Andrea Michaels said SA had some of the nation’s toughest pokies regulations, with measures such as facial recognition and automated risk monitoring, and remained committed to reducing harm. In February, the government of SA launched a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of playing without moderation on finances, relationships, and mental health.