Tuesday, 28 February
NCOSS has welcomed the NSW Government’s ban on gambling advertising across the NSW public transport network but called for further action to reduce gambling harm.
The ban applies to Transport-owned and controlled assets, including trains, metro, buses, light rail, train stations and ferry terminals.
NCOSS CEO Cara Varian said this was an encouraging move to further reduce the harm of gambling but reiterated her call for mandatory cashless gaming on poker machines.
“We are pleased to see the NSW Government removing gambling ads from its stations, billboards, buses, trams and trains,” Ms Varian said.
“We know the devastating impact that gambling harm has on our community, and any step towards reducing its prevalence is a good thing.
“However, if the NSW Government is serious about reducing gambling harm, they should implement mandatory cashless gaming on our poker machines, as recommended in the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform Report.
“NSW sadly leads the nation in poker machine losses, with more than $8.1 billion lost in 2023 (or $1,000 for every adult and child in the state), which is the highest per capita poker machine loss in the world.
“Our state is also home to more than 87,000 poker machines and is deep in the grip of a gambling harm public health crisis.
“We commend the Government for its announcement today, but we encourage it to ramp up its efforts and implement stronger gambling reform measures.”
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