I think becareful's point 7 is the most crucial.
If we could stop the desperates from emptying their wallets and make them go to a window and "buy" tokens which have a value of no more than .20c each and then make the machines accept no more than say $1 per spin, that might curb things a bit.

The State Govt of NSW has let this anti-social, highly addictive cancer spread throughout the State unchecked. The pokie barons are driving Rollers, the Govt are collecting $$$ they wouldn't have dreamt of 10 years ago and the 10% or so of players who have a serious, habitual problem are taking food out of their kids mouths.
Carr's answer is to put stickers on machines inviting the player to ring a number if they have a problem. That is like putting a warning on a hypodermic needle and handing it to a junkie who is overdue for his next hit.

The ironic part about pokies and their newfound capacity to eat $100 notes is that the same idiotic Carr Govt legislated that the NSWTAB could now only accept $200 per day in credit card deposits into phone accounts. I am not arguing the rights and wrongs of that idea but merely highlighting the hypocrisy and the contempt with which racing punters are held in NSW. I bet bookmakers wish they were offered the same latitude in this state that pokie barons are.

The Aussie Pub as I knew it is a thing of the past. Live bands and conversation replaced by a breed of zombies with their disappearing paypackets. The greedy publicans who lobbyed to get the machines so they could offer beer prices competitive with the clubs still charge their old prices and pocket the proceeds of the bandits.

Carr doesn't care. The govt is rolling in money, he's never set foot in a Pub anyway and he is socially and morally bankrupt. Perhaps the new Premier next year will have the courage to stem the tide. But I won't hold my breath.