Cathedral Newsletter
Cathedral Newsletter – 23 October 2025
Friends in Christ, recently in the Sydney Anglican Synod ( = denominational parliament), I helped promote motions calling our governments to implement reforms to reduce the misery caused by problem gambling, especially via poker machines (a State matter) and sports-betting (Federal).
Such action is based on the foundational truth that Almighty God calls on governing rulers to ‘defend the weak and fatherless; to uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed’ (Psalm 82:3).
Some time ago, my nephew and niece were in a bad car accident. They were saved from serious injury or possible death, because all the airbags deployed. The damage was limited to bruising and stitches.
As a Christian, I think all gambling is ethically problematic. It’s often based on greed for gain. Characteristically, it fails Christ’s love test, since any win you achieve always comes at the cost of losses to others, including problem gamblers who can’t afford such losses. Societally, its burden falls most heavily on the poor.
You might even know someone who has been harmed by poker machine use themselves or by a family member.
But I’m not seeking a blanket ban for a secular society. What I want is airbags on pokies and sports-betting to minimise harm.
Right now, a private member’s bill is before State Parliament, which would implement one reform we’ve been asking for: a longer mandatory shut down time for poker machines.
Currently the pokies can run until 4am in the morning, before a shut down till 10am. But exemptions allow about 20% of the state’s venues to keep running without even that break!
The new legislation would increase the shut-down from midnight until 10am, with no exceptions. And research shows rates of gambling harm increase notably after midnight. (You can read more details from the transcript of the Mover’s speech in Parliament.)
This would be a very practical example of putting “airbags on pokies” – helping people harmed by addictive gambling patterns to take a break.
Here’s what you could do.
Email or ring your local state member of Parliament and ask them to support the Gaming Machines Amendment (Mandatory Shutdown Period) Bill 2025.
Pick one or more Labor or Liberal MLCs (members of the NSW ‘upper house’, where the bill is currently being debated) and email or ring them to ask for the same thing.
Or at least just sign Wesley Mission online petition calling for increased poker machine shutdown hours from the NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing.
If you want my example, here is the email I sent to 25 of the MLCs in the NSW Upper House.
And below are my letters to our Cathedral’s state and federal members for Sydney, where I advise them of the Synod’s recent resolutions – these links will give you more detail and background information.
The Synod on Pokies Reform (state);
The Synod on Sports Bet Reform (federal);
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney
P.S. I also wrote to our local federal MP about religious freedom, as requested by Synod, and as encouraged by the Bishop of South Sydney.