It’s no secret that in both Sydney and NSW, pokies are kind of a big deal. Gambling in this state has long been a hugely divisive issue, with the facts being that more than half of NSW adults gamble – with pokies alone contributing to gamblers losing a hefty $7 billion every year (and that’s just in NSW). There are a lot of serious harms associated with gambling, and now, the NSW government has announced a brand-new reform that feels fairly major.
From September 1, all pubs, clubs and venues with gambling facilities in NSW will have to permanently take down any and all signs advertising gambling on the outside walls of their establishments. This means that words, motifs and signs that have long existed as unquestioned parts of Sydney and NSW’s streets are going to disappear for good.
Banned things include:
- ‘VIP Room’ and ‘VIP Lounge’
- ‘Golden Room’ and ‘Golden Lounge’
- ‘Player’s Room’ and ‘Players Lounge’
- Pictures of dragons
- Pictures of coins
- Lightning motifs
This reform is part of the NSW Minns Government’s massive push to try to fight back against harmful gambling across the state, with getting rid of all shiny gambling signs just one of their many steps. They will also be:
- Banning political donations from gambling clubs
- Making the amount of cash you can pop into a pokie machine at a time $500, instead of the previous $5000
- Putting a cap on the amount of gaming machines allowed in circulation
- Putting ‘responsible gaming officers’ into venues that have more than 20 machines onsite
- Plus, a whole lot more…
If venues don’t comply with the new signage rules by the deadline, we’re told there will be a $11,000 fine, with the state government clearly intent on taking NSW into a fresh, gambling-free future.
So, goodbye shiny dragon videos, and occasionally feeling like a D-grade celebrity when walking under a ‘VIP’ sign. It’s all for the best.