Darcy Byrne, the Labor mayor of Sydney’s Inner West Council, is leading a grassroots movement to reduce gambling harm by pushing for a reduction in the number of poker machines in licensed clubs across New South Wales. This initiative gains momentum as the federal Labor party faces criticism over its commitment to online gambling reform.
Comparing the Pokies Lobby to the NRA
In an interview with Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy, Byrne compared the poker machine lobby to the US National Rifle Association (NRA), highlighting the influence of gambling interests on policy. He successfully moved a motion at this month's NSW Labor conference to toughen gambling policy ahead of the next state election.
Critical Moment for NSW Labor
Byrne stated, “We’ve had a gutful of politicians failing to act on harm from the pokies. This is a critical moment for NSW Labor.” The movement comes amid surging pokies revenue, which advocates say proves NSW Labor has failed to reduce gambling harm as promised.
Grassroots Momentum for Reform
The push for reform is described as “unstoppable” by Byrne, who sees growing community support for curbing poker machine numbers. The motion at the NSW Labor conference signals a shift in party policy, with potential implications for the next state election.
