Slot costs by time of day and day of week
1. Time of day and risk level
Among regular pokies players classified as high risk, 23. 9% of the last session fell on the period from midnight to 8 am, while among players without risk - only 8. 2 %. This means an almost threefold probability of evening or night sessions in vulnerable groups.
2. Detailed variation by time of day
In players experiencing harm from gambling:
3. Duration of sessions and their association with risk
The average (median) duration of the last session for high-risk players is 2 hours;
players with moderate or low risk have 1 hour or 45 minutes, respectively.
Long sessions, especially at night, indicate more spending in one session, which further increases the overall damage.
4. Conclusion: peaks in spending by time of day
Major slot spending is concentrated in the afternoon and late evening, with the most activity between 6pm and midnight.
Night sessions (00: 00-08: 00) are much more common among high-risk players, which indicates a high intensity of losses at this time.
Long sessions (2 hours) further exacerbate the scale of spending and damage.
Context for 'How much Australians are spending on pokies in 2025'
Accounting for time patterns is important to assess the depth of expenditure and potential harm - night sessions are more often accompanied by dire financial consequences.
Regulatory policies (for example, tighter time limits, closing machines from midnight) can reduce damage, especially for vulnerable groups.
The necessary attention - not only to amounts, but also to when exactly spending occurs - is especially valuable for developing targeted interventions.
Sources
Regular pokies gamblers study, NGTS 2022: night sessions and risk (23. 9% vs 8. 2%)
Breakdown by time of day: evening, night, morning (54%, 40%, 22%, 14%, 14%)
Duration of sessions: 2 h (high risk), 1 h (medium), 45 min (low)
Politics: Proposals to close from midnight, impact on harmful behaviour
Among regular pokies players classified as high risk, 23. 9% of the last session fell on the period from midnight to 8 am, while among players without risk - only 8. 2 %. This means an almost threefold probability of evening or night sessions in vulnerable groups.
2. Detailed variation by time of day
In players experiencing harm from gambling:
- 54% of the last session - between 18:00 and 21: 00,
- 40% - between 21:00 and midnight,
- 22% - between 00:00 and 4: 00,
- an additional 14% between 4:00 and 7:00, and another 14% between 7:00 and 10:00 in the morning.
- This shows that a significant part of the game spending is concentrated in the late hours.
3. Duration of sessions and their association with risk
The average (median) duration of the last session for high-risk players is 2 hours;
players with moderate or low risk have 1 hour or 45 minutes, respectively.
Long sessions, especially at night, indicate more spending in one session, which further increases the overall damage.
4. Conclusion: peaks in spending by time of day
Major slot spending is concentrated in the afternoon and late evening, with the most activity between 6pm and midnight.
Night sessions (00: 00-08: 00) are much more common among high-risk players, which indicates a high intensity of losses at this time.
Long sessions (2 hours) further exacerbate the scale of spending and damage.
Context for 'How much Australians are spending on pokies in 2025'
Accounting for time patterns is important to assess the depth of expenditure and potential harm - night sessions are more often accompanied by dire financial consequences.
Regulatory policies (for example, tighter time limits, closing machines from midnight) can reduce damage, especially for vulnerable groups.
The necessary attention - not only to amounts, but also to when exactly spending occurs - is especially valuable for developing targeted interventions.
Sources
Regular pokies gamblers study, NGTS 2022: night sessions and risk (23. 9% vs 8. 2%)
Breakdown by time of day: evening, night, morning (54%, 40%, 22%, 14%, 14%)
Duration of sessions: 2 h (high risk), 1 h (medium), 45 min (low)
Politics: Proposals to close from midnight, impact on harmful behaviour
