Greenwich said the profits in the latest report laid bare the need for change. The new government has vowed to set up an independent panel of experts to oversee an expanded 12-month trial of cashless gaming before committing to an expanded rollout. “It will protect jobs and ensure that our communities across NSW are stronger now and into the future.”

“It will save lives,” Perrottet said at the time. The $344m plan would have seen legislation introduced to ensure a staged transition to universal cashless gaming between 20. He had joined forces with members of the crossbench, including the independent Sydney MP, Alex Greenwich, vowing to introduce cashless gambling systems to reduce problem gambling and criminal activity with the clubs. The state was on the verge of major gaming reform when Dominic Perrottet was voted out of power in March. Profits in pubs jumped by more than $400m over the period, while club profits rose $300m. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Liquor and Gambling NSW attribute the rises in part to patrons heading back to pubs and clubs, as well as machines that were offline during the pandemic being switched back on. The figures reveal there had been a sharp rise in gaming profits since before the pandemic and a drastic uplift in gaming profits of 120% since the same time in 2021, when Sydney was in lockdown. The report found the 615 machines at the Mounties social club at Mount Prichard were the most profitable in the state, followed by 450 machines at Cabra-Vale ex-active servicemen’s club at Canley Vale. Canterbury-Bankstown followed close behind with $204m, ahead of Cumberland bringing in $133m. Fairfield, in Sydney’s west, remains the local government area with the highest net profit for poker machines in clubs, raking in $225m over the six months.

Person losing on pokie machine