And half-yearly net profits from pokies in Bathurst are up by more than $2 million in just one year, according to NSW Liquor and Gaming statistics, suggesting at least some of the coronavirus stimulus cash splashed by the federal government via JobKeeper and JobSeeker was fed directly into the slots.

In the 26-week period June 1, 2020 to November 30, 2020, clubs in Bathurst and Blayney made more than $9 million net profit from 295 poker machines, at an average of about $350,000 net profit a week.

In the same half-year period in 2019, clubs made about $8.1 million in net profit, or about $310,000 a week.

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Meanwhile, in the 26-week period from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, hotels in Bathurst made $6.1 million in net profit from 147 pokies, at an average of $235,000 a week.

Overall, clubs and hotels in the LGA increased their half yearly net profit from gaming machines from $12.96 million in 2019 to $15.14 million in 2020. This represented a 17 per cent hike.

Bathurst RSL Club has the region's largest gaming room with 140 poker machines, ahead of Bathurst Panthers' 123 machines.

Of the 1059 clubs in NSW with poker machines, Bathurst RSL ranked 116th for overall net profit on gaming machines and Panthers ranked 132nd.

Bathurst Golf Club, which had 11 machines, ranked 822^nd and Majellan Bowling Club, with its 12 machines, ranked 984th.

The Dudley Hotel, with its 26 gaming machines, was the most profitable pokie pub in the area, and ranked 388th out of 1284 NSW pubs with pokies.

Next was the Kelso Hotel where its 20 pokies made it the 434th most profitable NSW pub by gaming machine net profit while Paddy's Hotel (15 machines) was ranked 577th.

Alex Ferguson from Lifeline Central West said that as a society we need to focus less on the mind-boggling sums and more on the drivers behind why people are becoming addicted to a range of activities.

"What is changing in our society that leads to the level of addictions?" Mr Ferguson asked.

"Not only in the gambling world - both online and poker machines - but also the addiction to social networks and drugs and alcohol."

Mr Ferguson said that "significant mental health issues" were arising due to these and other addictions, such as pornography.

He said that a lack of resilience, and confusion among males about their place in the modern world, were likely to be contributing to the problem.

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