New Treasury data shows that Tasmanians lost $18.4 million to electronic gaming machines in July 2025 – the largest amount lost in a month since August 2020. In the knowledge that these losses come at a social cost to everyday Tasmanians and their families, the Liberal Government must recommit to implementing its promised pokies pre-commitment card.
It’s shocking to see that Tasmanians lost more to poker machines in July than any other month in the last five years. The $3 million increase in pokies losses between June and July of this year is a further indictment on the pokies industry and the inaction of government.
Pokies losses cause devastating harm to Tasmanians and their families, including financial stress, domestic violence, increased crime and tragically at times, suicide.
The Liberals promised to implement a nation-leading mandatory pre-commitment card to address poker machine harm. But last year the Rockliff Government walked away from that promise, in a shocking betrayal of vulnerable Tasmanians that was driven by donors from the pokies industry.
Only two months ago, the Premier backtracked even further, saying the government wouldn’t implement a pokies pre-commitment card until there was a national approach. With pokies harm only growing, Tasmanians cannot wait for other states and territories to get their act together. We must make change now.
As the next Parliament is set to resume, we call on the Premier: lead this government with the heart you promised. Fix your broken promise to Tasmanians. Re-commit to implementing a pre-commitment card for Tasmanians struggling with poker machine losses and the tragedies that come with it.
