A new international study has found that loot boxes in video games share similar risk factors with gambling harm, linking them to anxiety, stress, and impulsivity. Flinders University professor Zsolt Demetrovics warns: “It might produce gambling later in adolescence – it’s an obvious risk.”

With Australian teens spending up to $70 a month on loot boxes and one in three children making in-game purchases, the risks are clear. The gaming industry must stop using gambling-like mechanics that lure young players into harmful spending habits.

Queenslanders are losing a staggering $3.5 billion a year to poker machines—over $9.5 million every single day. These losses have jumped 46% since the pandemic, hitting communities hard, especially in areas with lower household incomes like Logan, Lockyer Valley, and Ipswich.

"The gambling industry is predatory. It targets low-income households in many cases, people who can least afford to lose this money," says The Alliance’s Martin Thomas. With 41,000 pokies in pubs and clubs across the state—not including casinos—the industry is raking in billions while families suffer.

The solution? Mandatory cashless gambling cards. These cards, already being introduced in Victoria, allow people to set limits before they play—preventing devastating losses before they happen. NSW is also considering similar reforms after a trial. Queensland must act now to protect vulnerable communities.

NSW’s three newest MPs—Monica Tudehope, James Wallace, and Jacqui Scruby—used their first speeches to call out the damage caused by poker machines. The Alliance’s Tim Costello says they’ve shown “more leadership than [Premier Chris] Minns and Labor” on gambling reform.

Tudehope highlighted that Australia has “the worst gambling losses in the world,” while Wallace called for technology to be used to “empower people by establishing an effective exclusion register” and self-imposed limits. Scruby pushed for immediate action, saying, “It’s time to reignite the appetite and commitment to reform.”

It’s clear: NSW wants real change. Australia wants real change. The question is, will the government listen?

Independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Rebekha Sharkie are demanding that gambling apps display live losses to help people see the real impact of their gambling. Right now, monthly statements aren’t enough—many people experiencing gambling harm don’t realise how much they’re losing until it’s too late.

"This would cost the government very, very little to police, but this would stop lives being lost," Ms Sharkie said.

The Alliance’s CEO, Martin Thomas, calls gambling harm an epidemic, revealing that up to one in five suicides could be linked to gambling harm. With weak consumer protections and predatory gambling companies exploiting personal data to push people into deeper losses, urgent action is needed.

Yet, the government continues to delay real reform, ignoring a landmark report that recommended banning gambling ads. Enough is enough.

New figures showing poker machine losses in NSW have reached a record high of $8.64 billion are horrendous and underscore the urgent need for reform, the CEO of the Alliance, Martin Thomas, said.

The latest quarterly data from Liquor and Gambling NSW shows a 7 per cent increase in net profits for pubs and clubs – the steepest increase outside of the COVID rebound in at least six years. Mr Thomas said these losses represent social harm on an industrial scale across NSW and were exacerbating the cost of living crisis for countless battling families.

“There is clear evidence that a mandatory cashless card with pre-set loss limits would not only reduce criminal money laundering through poker machines but also dramatically reduce gambling harm,” Mr Thomas said.

SMH: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/poker-machine-losses-hit-record-high-last-year-20250220-p5ldr7.html

The WA Government is strengthening gambling laws with tougher penalties and greater enforcement powers. These reforms, responding to the Perth Casino Royal Commission, aim to modernise regulation and deter illegal gambling.

GWC Chair Gary Dreibergs says: “The substantial increase in penalties will act as a more effective deterrent and a more appropriate punishment for law breakers.”

But to truly stop money laundering and protect people from gambling harm, The Alliance recommends a mandatory cashless gambling card with spending limits. This would:
✅ Prevent anonymous cash transactions
✅ Track gambling activity to detect suspicious behaviour
✅ Cut off the flow of dirty money in casinos

Support change. Donate to The Alliance today.

A UK high court has ruled that Sky Betting & Gaming unlawfully targeted a vulnerable gambler with relentless marketing, despite clear signs of gambling harm. Sam, who lost 10 years of his life to gambling, was bombarded with 1,389 promotional emails, even after trying to quit. The company used sophisticated profiling to predict his behaviour—but not to protect him.

Lawyer Ravi Naik called the ruling a “death knell for this kind of pernicious activity: tick-boxes, mass surveillance and data sharing, all unbeknownst to the user.”

This exposes how gambling companies exploit people for profit. Regulators must act now to stop these harmful practices.

Young women are gambling at the same rates as men, yet stigma and lack of research leave many suffering in silence. Ella McIntosh lost $20,000 after downloading a solitaire gambling app at 19. "I felt really ashamed of it because there was nothing showing me that it's something that happens to women."

Research shows women aged 18–34 are most at risk, yet gambling companies continue targeting them with aggressive marketing. The government has had nearly two years to act on 31 recommendations from the You win some, you lose more report—but nothing has changed. Advocate Kate Seselja says, "There’s no excuse for not taking action to protect Australia's wellbeing."