commissioned by the NSW Greens Party reveals the 25 hotels making the biggest profit from poker machines are earning over $250 million dollars per year.
All of the top hotels are located in the Greater Sydney metropolitan region, with13 in the Fairfield, Canterbury and Bankstown areas in the city's south west.
Those that topped the list made close to $500,000 per week in the 2016-17 financial year.
NSW Greens MP Justin Field said their revenue is coming from vulnerable communities.
"Behind the mega profits is a measurable harm that's impacting on individuals and communities right across NSW but particularly here in Sydney," he said.
Mr Field said apart from Las Vegas, NSW had the world's second largest number of machines.
"NSW has the most machines in the Australia and loses the most per person, per year on poker machines," he said.
"And 10 per cent of all machines worldwide are here in NSW, we are second only to Nevada in the US in terms of numbers, but all of their machines are in casinos."
A punter on the hunt. Source: AAP
Gambling is 'right in your face'
SBS World News spoke with 37-year-old gambler Tony who did not wish to reveal his surname.
He said his addiction began when he was 18, though he's currently taking part in a gamblers help program to curb it.
He said the fact that poker machines and other forms gambling are so easily accessible, make it very difficult for people like him to quit.
"It is damaging because gambling these days seems to be right in your face, it's not only poker machines but it's on TV," he said.
"It makes harder for people that have a gambling problem because the avenues for gambling are so broad ranging, they can stay at home, they can go to a pub, anywhere you go, now on every corner it's available so it definitely makes it harder."
SBS World News contacted the New South Wales Minister for Racing, Paul Toole, who was not avaliable for comment, he did however provide a statement outlining the government's strategy.
"The NSW Government is currently considering reforms to the Local Impact Assessment scheme, transparency of gaming machine information and responsible gaming initiatives," the statement said.
"The Government will be considering all the evidence during this process, not just numbers cherry-picked by the Greens."
Gambling and advancing technologies
The NSW Greens want to see a renewed push to regulate the hotel industry, as well as an overall reduction in the number of poker machines in the state.
"We need to reduce the number of machines across the state, but there are a range of technological options, including reducing bet limits, the dollar bet campaign from back 2011 is a good way to reduce the impact poker machines has on local communities," said Mr Field.
Gambler Tony said it's not just the issue of poker machines that need to be addressed.
He said advancing technology is emerging as a huge problem in the gambling world.
"These days online gambling, especially for people that are coming up, the younger people, you know, now they're in high schools.
"Now kids are coming through and they're using their phones and their apps and I think the monster has just entered peoples homes without them even realising it, you know, through the technologies."
