POKIES in the Nambucca Valley made an average net profit of more than $900,000 per month in 2021, according to reports from Liquor & Gaming NSW.

The Gaming Machine Data reports show a total net profit of just over $11m for the year, an increase from just under $10.3m in 2020, when the most extensive venue closures and social distancing rules of the pandemic were mandated, and a slight decrease from the pre-pandemic figure of $11.7m in 2019.

The 2021 numbers appear to have been affected by Covid disruptions in the second half of the year when net profits were $4.7m, according to reports published on March 31, down from $6.3m in the first half of the year.

A government fact sheet notes that net profits are “not exactly the same as player losses because some larger jackpots are pooled when machines are linked across multiple venues and LGAs… However, it is the closest indicator of how much communities have lost on gaming machines”.

The turnover (which refers to the total value of bets, including bets made using credits won during the course of play) for pokies in the Nambucca Valley was likely to be about $110m in 2021, based on information in the fact sheet, which states that New South Wales machines “must return at least 85 percent of turnover over the playing out of their full course of combinations, with the average return of all gaming machines being about 90 percent”.

Pokies are the second most common form of gambling after lotteries in New South Wales, and they present more risk of harm than any other form of gambling, according to GambleAware, although the organisation is also concerned about a “dramatic increase” in online gambling that has been accelerated by the pandemic.

Jason D’Onofrio, Services Manager at GambleAware Mid and Northern NSW, attributed the high-risk nature of pokies in part to the unique “sense of escapism” created by “colourful, cheerful machines in comfortable, air-conditioned environments”, adding that while gambling harm is experienced across the community, gaming machines are most popular with people aged 18 to 24.

Support is available for anyone affected by gambling.

“No matter how you’re affected by gambling, whether you’re worried about your own or someone else’s gambling, or you’re impacted by someone’s gambling, GambleAware Mid and Northern NSW is right here for you,” D’Onofrio said.

“We provide free and confidential support and have a team of specialist counsellors who can and will help.”

The figures in this story were compiled from biannual Liquor & Gaming NSW reports that, combined, track pokie numbers, profits and taxes by LGA in hotels each calendar year, and clubs from December 1 to November 30.

There are 237 machines across nine clubs and 62 machines across six hotels in the Nambucca Valley, according to the most recent report, and these venues paid a total of about $1.35m in taxes on the net profit of $11m in 2021.

If you or a loved one is affected by gambling, contact GambleAware Mid and Northern NSW on (02) 6651 4093.

 

By Brooke LEWIS