Study links higher concentration of pokie machines to increase in family and domestic violence

Greater accessibility to Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), or ‘pokies’, is driving higher rates of police-reported family and domestic violence incidents, according to an alarming new study analysing the impact of gambling in New South Wales (NSW).  

The study, led by The Australian National University (ANU), used state-wide EGM and police incident data across all NSW suburbs and localities (SALs) and found high rates of family and domestic violence in and around metropolitan Sydney and along the north-eastern corner of NSW, near the Queensland border, as well as in the Central West and the South Coast areas.  

NSW has the highest number of pokies out of all Australian states and territories, and NSW residents gamble the most money on the pokies compared to anywhere else in Australia.  

“The impact of EGMs on family and domestic violence rates was much stronger in geographic locations in some regional areas near the Queensland border, with a larger proportion of residents with lower socioeconomic status, and a larger proportion of Indigenous residents,” Associate Professor Aino Suomi, Director of The Centre for Gambling Research, said.  

“Even after factoring in other drivers of family and domestic violence, we found that poker machines independently contribute to higher rates of domestic violence incidents.” 

The researchers also conducted 33 interviews with staff from GambleAware, family and domestic violence services, mental health, child and family wellbeing help services, and child protection and youth justice services.   

“The types of violence that service providers commonly observed in relation to gambling harm included financial abuse, coercive control and psychological abuse that was directly related to gambling. In comparison, physical abuse was much less common. Elder abuse and child abuse were also present in some families that sought help from these services,” Associate Professor Suomi said. 

“Service providers highlighted the impact on children as one of the key areas of concern, including children witnessing parental violence coupled with serious physical and psychological neglect. 

“The participants described how these impacts on children often went unnoticed given the focus of services providers was on the parents or crisis care.” 

According to the researchers, the findings could help inform gambling regulation and harm minimisation policy not only in NSW but other Australian jurisdictions.  

“There is a need for an integrated service response with a clear policy framework to address gambling-related domestic violence, enabling efficient referral pathways across various help services including child and family services. This could include a ‘one-stop-shop’ where people seeking help can access support for a variety of relevant and contributing issues,” Associate Professor Suomi said. 

“Survey participants said there is a need for a holistic approach to services especially in relation to Aboriginal clients and remote communities. The intersection with trauma, drug and alcohol addictions, loss and grief, as well as the normalisation of the gambling and family violence presented complex challenges to service providers. 

“Staff working for family and domestic violence support services also called for specific training modules and resources focusing on better understanding gambling harm and gambling-related family and domestic violence. 

“This includes learning how these issues may manifest in victims and perpetrators of violence, and how to have conversations with clients where they uncover or suspect gambling related harms. 

“Interventions could include embedding a gambling specialist in family and domestic violence services with expertise in gambling-related violence and the ability to teach domestic violence support staff about gambling harm.” 

The study is published on the NSW Government GambleAware website. The study was prepared for the NSW Government and involved researchers from UNSW Sydney and Monash University.