Ban Pokies

Despite the immense social costs, pokies remain a significant source of revenue for the state government, which means they have a perceived benefit to the state coffers. Although the Labor and Liberal parties are no longer allowed to take donations from gambling companies, both parties refuse to phase out pokies. 

It’s misleading when state governments and hotels and clubs make claims that they need pokies revenue to survive. In an interstate example, Western Australia has no pokies outside of casinos but still has 1,000 clubs and nearly 600 pubs⁴. These attract people through hospitality, offering food and beverage services, and hosting events like live music and sports. Some clubs invest in non-gambling activities and provide facilities like gyms or tennis courts and play equipment for children. This provides a more family friendly and health-focused lifestyle for customers. 

Unlike other states, most pokies licences in South Australia are owned by hotels, which account for 93 per cent of licences or more than 15,200 of the 16,400 gaming machines. This compares to about 25 per cent in New South Wales and 20 per cent in Victoria.

The Labor Government have forward projected that state coffers will take $2.7 billion in gambling revenue over the next four years⁵. However, this revenue comes at a steep price with established links between problem gambling, family violence and violent crime. Research has shown that for every $1 spent on gambling approximately $1.20 of social harm is caused⁶. 

^{4. https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2023/jan/10/western-australia-shows-the-harm-pokermachines-are-doing-to-the-rest-of-the-country}

^{5. https://www.treasury.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1159383/2025-26-Budget-Statement.pdf}

^{6.  https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/publications/the-social-cost-of-gambling-to-victoria121/}

To assist pubs and clubs with this new way of operating, the Greens will provide a transitional fund of $400 million over the next 4 years to assist pubs and clubs that want to phase out their poker machines earlier. This fund can be used to establish new revenue streams, whether that is investing in live music equipment, better kitchen facilities, play area for families, or a marketing campaign to better promote their venue. 

The Greens are calling for an end to pokies in South Australia by placing a moratorium on new machines and setting a goal to phase out all poker machines in pubs and clubs over the next 4 years.

Pokies are the leading cause of gambling harm in our community, with 72 per cent of adults seeking support from gambling help services identifying pokies as the main source of their distress⁷.

^{7. https://gamblingharmsupport.sa.gov.au/understanding-gambling/gambling-facts-and-myths/pokies}

The Greens will appoint an independent commission to develop a pokies licence buyback scheme over the next 7 years to facilitate a phase-out of pokies at pubs and clubs and consider options for replacing potential revenue lost. The panel will be funded to investigate, model and enact a flat 65% tax on all gaming machines, and raise the Betting Operations Tax more generally to 30%.

This plan includes the investigation and enactment of a flat tax 65% tax on gaming machines.

More broadly, the SA Greens have a plan to:

• Make mining companies pay their fair share in royalties.
• Introduce a South Australian big bank levy.
• Phase out stamp duty and introduce a broad-based land tax.
• Cut wasteful government spending on advertising for itself.

These measures will end the SA government’s reliance on gaming revenue to fund essentials for South Australians.