Sydney is one of Australia’s most active cities for pokies, with everything from waterfront casino floors at The Star to compact gaming rooms hidden inside heritage pubs and modern sports bars. If you are searching for “pokies near me” in Sydney, you will find a dense network of CBD venues plus suburban clubs and hotels, all operating under increasingly strict New South Wales regulations designed to limit harm while keeping the machines accessible.
Pokies in Sydney at a glance
Sydney’s CBD and inner suburbs host dozens of pubs and hotels with pokies rooms, spread across the city grid and North Sydney. On top of that, The Star in Pyrmont adds a major casino property with more than 1,400 electronic gaming machines, making it the dominant single pokies venue in the city.
From a player’s point of view, the main types of venues are:
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The Star Sydney in Pyrmont, with large gaming floors and resort‑style restaurants and bars.
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CBD pubs and hotels that mix pokies, sports bars, and bistro dining, such as Criterion Hotel and Civic Hotel.
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Suburban pubs and clubs in areas like North Sydney, where venues such as Rag & Famish Hotel and Greenwood Hotel offer gaming alongside local hospitality.
This spread means that whether you are staying in the city, working in the CBD, or living in nearby suburbs, there is usually a pokies venue within a short walk, train trip, or rideshare.
The Star Sydney: the city’s flagship pokies destination
The Star Sydney in Pyrmont is the city’s main casino and a central hub for pokies players. Overlooking Darling Harbour, it combines hotel accommodation, bars, restaurants, a theatre, and large gaming floors split between a main floor and premium rooms.
The casino hosts just under 1,500 electronic gaming machines, with a legal ceiling of 1,500 devices, and offers a mix of slots, video poker, bingo‑style games, rapid roulette, and other electronic formats. Like other modern casinos, it rotates new games in while retaining classic titles, so both new and long‑time players can find familiar machines.
Highlights for pokies players at The Star include:
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Two primary gaming levels, with the main gaming floor open to the general public and premium spaces like the Sovereign Room for higher‑stakes action.
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A broad selection of electronic gaming machines, including multi‑denomination games, standalone jackpots, and linked progressive jackpots.
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Easy access from the CBD by foot across Darling Harbour, light rail services, and nearby public transport connections.
For visitors, The Star offers the most concentrated pokies experience in Sydney, but it also tends to be busier and more intense than small local venues.
Pokies in Sydney CBD pubs and hotels
If you prefer the feel of a pub or hotel, the Sydney CBD has a varied list of venues with pokies rooms. Many of these combine bars, food, and sports screens with compact gaming areas, making them popular after‑work or pre‑event stops.
Examples of CBD venues with pokies include:
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Criterion Hotel on Pitt Street, positioning itself as a classic city pub with a sports bar, bistro, and central CBD location.
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Civic Hotel, an Art Deco landmark in the heart of the city, known for its heritage look and multi‑level layout.
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Sanctuary Hotel, which markets itself as a modern hotspot with bars, pool tables, a bistro, and event spaces in the CBD.
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The Sussex Hotel in Barangaroo, a heritage pub with a beer garden and rooftop, situated close to the western edge of the CBD.
Alongside these, Sydney’s CBD and North Sydney also host a range of smaller venues like Angel Hotel, The Occidental Hotel, and Pontoon Bar listed on pokies‑mapping sites, each with their own mix of hospitality and gaming. With so many options, you can usually find a pokies room that fits your preferred atmosphere, from quieter corners to lively sports‑bar environments.
North Sydney and inner‑city pokies
North Sydney and nearby inner‑city areas have their own cluster of pokies venues catering to office workers and local residents. Hotels such as Rag & Famish Hotel, Greenwood Hotel, and Billy Barry’s appear prominently in “pokies near me” searches for the North Sydney area.
These venues typically:
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Combine gaming with large outdoor or rooftop spaces, such as the Greenwood Hotel’s rooftop area at Greenwood Plaza.
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Emphasise food, drinks, and live sport as much as the pokies, making them social destinations rather than pure gambling venues.
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Provide convenient access from nearby office towers and transport hubs, which appeals to after‑work patrons.
If you are based just across the harbour from the CBD, these options can be more convenient than going into the city or walking over to Pyrmont, while still offering plenty of machines.
Getting around Sydney’s pokies venues
Sydney’s public transport network makes it relatively easy to move between casino, CBD pubs, and suburban pokies venues. Most inner‑city pokies rooms are within walking distance of train stations like Town Hall, Wynyard, and Martin Place, or light rail and ferry stops near Darling Harbour.
Practical access tips include:
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Taking a short walk or light rail trip from the CBD to reach The Star in Pyrmont, just across Darling Harbour.
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Using trains and buses to reach North Sydney venues such as Rag & Famish Hotel or Greenwood Hotel near major commuter corridors.
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Planning suburban trips around local train lines and bus routes if you want to visit clubs outside the city core.
Driving is possible, but inner‑city parking can be expensive, so many players rely on public transport or rideshare for CBD and casino visits, especially at night.
NSW pokies regulations and recent reforms
Pokies in Sydney operate under New South Wales laws administered by Liquor & Gaming NSW, and these rules have tightened over the last few years. The focus is on reducing gambling harm while preserving the economic role of pubs, clubs, and the casino.
Key recent and upcoming changes include:
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Mandatory daily shutdowns: Under NSW law, poker machines must shut down for six continuous hours each day, with the shutdown starting no later than 4 am.
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Ending late‑night exemptions: More than 670 pubs and clubs that previously had approvals to operate past standard shutdown hours will lose those exemptions from March 2026, forcing them to stop pokies between 4 am and 10 am.
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ATM and cash‑access rules: From 1 January 2025, all ATMs in venues with pokies must be at least five metres from gaming rooms and cannot be visible from those spaces, making it harder to access extra cash impulsively while playing.
These reforms sit alongside broader measures like reduced cash input limits for new machines and a gradual reduction of the statewide cap on gaming machine entitlements.
Harm minimisation and venue obligations
NSW authorities have paired structural rules with direct obligations on pubs, clubs, and casinos to manage gambling risks more actively. The idea is to create visible boundaries around pokies while ensuring that staff can respond to signs of harm.
Measures include:
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Requiring Responsible Gambling Officers in larger venues, tasked with monitoring behaviour and supporting patrons who may be experiencing harm.
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Banning external “VIP Lounge” signage to reduce the visibility and promotion of gaming rooms from the street.
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Developing stricter guidelines for venues that seek exemptions from standard shutdown hours, with decisions handled by an independent authority rather than direct ministerial discretion.
For players, this translates into a pokies environment that still feels familiar but features more reminders to keep play within limits and to treat gambling as a form of entertainment rather than income.
Comparing The Star to Sydney pubs and clubs
From a casino‑expert perspective, choosing between The Star and local pubs or clubs depends on how you like to play and what kind of night out you are planning.
At The Star, you get:
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The largest concentration of electronic gaming machines in Sydney, plus table games, poker, and entertainment venues in one complex.
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Resort‑style bars, restaurants, and shows, making it easy to build a full evening around your visit.
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A more tourist‑oriented crowd, combining locals, hotel guests, and visitors from interstate and overseas.
At CBD and suburban pubs and clubs, you typically find:
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Smaller gaming rooms with fewer machines but a more local vibe, often anchored by regular patrons.
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Strong emphasis on pub food, sports viewing, and socialising, with the pokies just one part of the venue’s offer.
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Easier access for quick sessions after work or between appointments, without committing to a full casino trip.
Your choice often comes down to whether you want a big‑resort experience or a familiar pub, and whether you prefer thousands of machines or just a smaller room where you can find a regular seat.
Trends shaping the future of pokies in Sydney
The pokies landscape in Sydney is being reshaped by regulatory reform, public concern, and changing expectations of pubs and clubs. As a result, “pokies near me” will still bring up many venues, but the way those rooms operate is evolving.
Major trends include:
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Reduced late‑night access, as extended trading exemptions are scrapped and more venues must observe the standard 4 am–10 am shutdown window.
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Tighter control over cash access, with ATM placement rules and lower cash input limits for new machines aiming to slow down loss rates.
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A stronger focus on visible responsible gambling practices, with trained staff, support signage, and clearer options for self‑exclusion and third‑party bans under discussion.
For players, these changes encourage more planned sessions, clearer time boundaries, and smaller, more considered cash commitments when sitting down at the pokies.
What “pokies near me” really means in Sydney
When you type “pokies near me” in Sydney, you are not just getting a list of machines; you are choosing among different experiences shaped by venue type, location, and regulation. In the CBD and inner suburbs, options are tightly clustered, so you can easily compare rooms and move if the atmosphere does not feel right.
For a big, high‑energy night, The Star offers the largest machine selection, premium bars, and a resort feel overlooking Darling Harbour. For everyday sessions, though, many locals gravitate to their favourite pub or club, where they know the layout, the staff, and the usual crowd, and where pokies sit alongside familiar meals and sports screens.
Whichever style you choose, Sydney’s pokies venues now operate under a framework that is more focused than ever on harm minimisation, yet still provides plenty of choice for players looking for a night out with the reels.
