Australia loses $13 billion dollars a year on poker machine gambling which makes up over 20% of the world’s total. However, this number has dropped dramatically since new lockdown laws have been put in place, closing Australia’s clubs and RSLs. Former gamblers that have struggled with gambling addiction have said that this shutdown has been a relief for poker machine addicts. In fact the closure of these poker machines is helping Australian gamblers save $34.2 million a day. According to a study conducted by the Australian Government in 2015, poker attracts the least number of regular gamblers however it is the highest proportion of those with problems.

We were joined by Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic Professor Sally Gainsbury from Sydney University, a leading professor in gambling psychology research and leader of the new Brain and Mind Centre team at the university.