The latest ClubsNSW Snapshot Report pulls together the deepest available datasets and gives members, policymakers and the public a clear, evidence based view of how clubs are performing.
The latest ClubsNSW Snapshot Report pulls together the deepest available datasets and gives members, policymakers and the public a clear, evidence based view of how clubs are performing.
Importantly, it distinguishes between financial, gaming and non-gaming activity, providing a more complete picture. The report, along with previous reports in the series, can be viewed here.
The data has been sourced from a variety of sources, including:
• Liquor & Gaming NSW — machine level gaming activity and regulatory datasets.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) — macroeconomic context, inflation and employment benchmarks.
• Annual reports from clubs — venue level financial statements and disclosures.
• Commonwealth Bank — banking and transaction indicators used to validate spending and cash flow trends.
Key takeaways — financials
• Profitability: The profitability pillar remains the industry’s greatest financial challenge, according to the ClubsNSW Financial Viability Framework. Despite generating sufficient income to remain operable, clubs consistently operate with thin profit margins, with operating expenses accounting for more than 90 per cent of total income.
Key takeaways — non gaming
• NSW discretionary spend grew at +7.7 per cent year-over-year. The club industry was also successful at producing a positive growth rate of +5.9 per cent.
• The bulk of non-gaming spend came from people aged 45-74, accounting for an estimated 52 per cent of total spend in club venues. Yearly spend growth was primarily driven by younger and older aged groups 18 to 24 and 75+.
Key takeaways — gaming
• Gaming performance: The 2026 gaming year was a tale of two halves. Gaming performance within the club industry was extremely strong as year-over-year growth notched 8.5 per cent. However, that momentum slowed considerably across the second half of the year, as year-over-year gaming growth grew by just +1.8 per cent.
Key takeaways — state comparison
• Similar trends observed: Other states trended like-for-like with NSW as gaming performance growth tapered across the back half of the gaming year.
The Snapshot Report series are released quarterly.
