The $4.75b issue chewing through generations of Aussies: 'It's cringe, it's gross'

New analysis of NSW gaming-machine data suggests the scale of gambling in Australia is accelerating: $4.75 billion was lost on poker machines in NSW over six months, including more than $26 million per day. The figure, attributed to an analysis by Wesley Mission, was reported as $311 million higher than in the same period last year. Branded as “impossible to ignore,” the trend worries critics who say gambling is being normalized for younger audiences. Research cited from the Australian Gambling Research Centre links normalization to family, friends, sport and social media—sometimes from an early age—and notes people may still believe they are in control even amid financial or relationship harm.