The New South Wales government has announced an additional A$1.3 million in funding to bolster its GambleAware counselling and support programme statewide.
The injection will expand GambleAware’s free services to 49 locations across the state, representing a 44% increase from the previous 34 sites.
Five additional peer support workers will be hired as a direct result of the funding, bringing the total number of statewide workers to 16.
Last year, GambleAware representatives assisted 4,170 people and provided crisis help to over 9,500 individuals through its dedicated helpline.
Contracts for the expanded services were awarded through a competitive tender process, with providers including Wesley Community Services and Mission Australia.
Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris defended the measure after an independent evaluation recommended higher funding for community engagement and operations.
The government’s total Responsible Gambling Fund commitment has now risen, with the fund receiving A$20.7 million for the 2025-26 year, up from A$19.2 million the previous year.
The announcement arrives against a backdrop of mounting pressure on the NSW administration, with anti-gambling advocates and internal party factions criticising the government’s record on harm reduction.
Data shows NSW players lost a record A$8.64 billion in 2024, while a damning audit revealed the state lacked clear targets to reduce gambling harm.
A June 2025 report by the NSW Audit Office found that regulators were not doing enough to minimise harm caused by gambling, and that the state’s gaming-machine strategy lacked specific reduction goals.
Unions NSW and charity groups have attacked the administration for a lack of ambition and criticised Premier Chris Minns for rejecting a mandatory cashless gaming card system.
An independent panel recommended the cashless system following a 2024 trial, but Minns labelled the trial ineffective and cited high compliance costs for venues.
The Labor government has instead prioritised incremental regulatory adjustments, including reducing the statewide gaming machine entitlement cap by more than 3,000 machines.
Cash input limits for new machines were also reduced from A$5,000 to A$500, while venues must now deploy responsible gambling officers and maintain mandatory incident registers.
The state has additionally banned external gambling signage, prohibited political donations from clubs with gaming machines, and removed ATMs from gaming areas to disrupt continuous play.
Gambling advertisements are now barred from all public transport assets across the network, forming part of a broader suite of harm-minimisation measures.
On a national level, Australia will curb gambling advertising from January 2027, banning live-sport television ads during daytime hours and restricting online exposure, with online keno also set to be banned.
Poker machine tax receipts are expected to surpass A$2.6 billion this financial year, a financial reality that continues to complicate any push for deeper legislative reform.
Reform advocates say the overall package remains weak, while wagering groups warn that tightened rules could push customers toward offshore operators.
The government intends to implement a statewide exclusion register and expand facial recognition technology later in its current term.
