Best Pokies in Sydney: Venues, RTP and Late Play

Updated October 2026

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A practical guide to local venues, online terminology, payout percentages and the details behind late-night gaming claims.

The Pokies You’ll Actually See Around Sydney

In Sydney, pokies means electronic gaming machines. You will hear the word in clubs, pubs and casinos, not just in advertising. “Slots” is understood, but it sounds more international. If you are talking to a local, pokies is the natural term.

That matters when you are looking around Sydney NSW. A search for pokies near me in Sydney might lead you towards a club, hotel or casino with gaming machines, while a search for pokies at Sydney Airport may mean something quite different: a traveller looking for a quick game before a flight, or simply assuming that every large entertainment area has them. Do not treat the wording as proof that machines are actually inside a particular terminal or venue. The place itself is what counts.

What a pokie actually is

A pokie is an electronic gaming machine built around reels, symbols, paylines or ways to win, bonus features and a random number generator. The names vary, but the basic idea is familiar. You choose a stake, press the button and the machine produces an outcome.

The previous spin does not influence the next one. A run of losses does not make a win “due”, and a recent win does not make the next result colder. Each spin is independent. That is the first useful thing to understand before comparing machines around Sydney.

Pokies also differ in volatility. High-volatility games tend to pay less frequently, with larger potential amounts when a winning combination arrives. Low-volatility games tend to produce wins more often, but those wins are generally smaller. Neither setting turns the machine into a reliable way to make money. It simply describes how the results are distributed.

You may see familiar titles on licensed platforms and in game menus, including:

1. Gates of Olympus
2. Big Bass Bonanza
3. Book of Dead
4. Gonzo’s Quest
5. Money Train 4
6. Starburst
7. Sweet Bonanza
8. 5 Dragons

You may also come across names such as Buffalo, Buffalo King Megaways, Fire Joker, Mega Joker, Wolf Gold, Blood Suckers, Dead or Alive 2, Dolphin Treasure and Queen of the Nile. The title tells you the theme, not whether the game is suitable for your budget, available at a particular venue or legally offered in a particular setting.

Land-based machines versus online pokies

The biggest practical difference is not the reels. Online pokies and land-based machines use the same broad concepts: reels, RTP and volatility. The difference is where the game is accessed and how you interact with it.

At a Sydney venue, you sit at a physical machine, use its controls and deal with the venue’s own opening arrangements, payment process and player rules. The machine may be in a club, hotel or casino. The atmosphere is part of the experience: noise, screens, seats, other punters and the simple fact that you have travelled somewhere to play.

Online, the same style of game appears on a phone or computer. You can see titles such as Sweet Bonanza, Starburst or Big Bass Bonanza in a digital lobby rather than on a bank of machines. Online games can allow stakes from a few cents to hundreds of dollars per spin, depending on the game and platform. That range makes it especially important to check the bet controls before starting. A bright screen is still capable of draining a bankroll quietly.

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For Australians, the legal setting is not interchangeable. Land-based casinos, licensed bookies and lotteries are legal options. Online pokies are a separate matter: real-money online casinos offering pokies to Australians are prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and there is no Australian licence for online pokies. The word “pokies” on a webpage does not prove that the service is locally licensed or that Australian consumer protections apply.

How to compare the machines you see

When you are standing in front of a machine, start with the information shown on its help screen. Look for the game rules, available stakes, feature conditions and the stated RTP where it is provided. RTP, or Return to Player, is a theoretical long-term average. It is not a forecast for your visit and cannot tell you what the next spin will do.

Then check volatility. A high-volatility pokie may produce longer quiet stretches before a larger result. A low-volatility game may show more frequent smaller wins. Neither one removes the house edge or makes a session predictable.

I would also separate the game from the venue. A popular title is not automatically the best pokie in Sydney, and a machine near North Sydney is not necessarily different in mathematical design from the same title elsewhere. The local question is often about access, setting and rules; the game question is about its own features and volatility.

That is the useful distinction. Sydney supplies the venues. The game supplies the mechanics. Keep those two things separate.

Crown Sydney, The Star and the Online Confusion

Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney are names people recognise as physical casino venues. That matters, because a search for Crown Sydney casino pokies or Star Casino Sydney pokies can quietly lead somewhere else: a website presenting an online casino as though it were connected to a Sydney brand.

It may use familiar words such as casino, pokies, Sydney or real money. None of those words proves an Australian licence, a local venue, or Australian consumer protection. Branding is not regulation. A polished logo is not regulation either.

What Crown Sydney and The Star actually tell you

A land-based casino and an online gambling site are different things. Crown Sydney refers to a named physical venue. The Star Sydney does the same. If you are planning to visit either, you are dealing with a venue whose operation sits within the relevant Australian state and federal framework.

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That does not mean every website mentioning Crown, Star or Sydney belongs to those operators. An online page can borrow local language to attract attention without being the official website of a Sydney casino. The name alone cannot establish ownership, licensing or any relationship with the venue.

The same applies to phrases such as “Crown Casino Sydney pokies” and “Crown Sydney casino pokies”. They describe what a reader may be trying to find, not what an online provider is legally allowed to offer. A site calling its games pokies has not proved that the games are connected to Crown Sydney, The Star, or any Australian casino.

The Australian online rule

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the main federal law governing online gambling in Australia. Real-money online casinos offering pokies to Australians are banned under that law. Online casino games, including pokies, are prohibited from being offered to people in Australia.

That point is easy to blur when a page advertises “online pokies Sydney”, “online pokies for real money”, or a “no-deposit bonus”. A bonus does not change the legal status of the product. Nor does a Sydney-themed landing page turn an offshore website into an Australian casino.

There is no Australian licence for online pokies, and none has ever existed. So the sensible distinction is not between a “good” and “bad” Australian online pokies licence. There is no local licence of that type to check.

This is where many casual explanations go wrong. They tell you to choose an online casino with an Australian licence, as if such a licence were available. It is not. Australian licences exist for permitted products such as pre-event sports and racing wagering, lotteries and keno. Online casino games are outside that permitted category.

What happens to the player?

The Interactive Gambling Act targets the provider rather than the individual punter. Players are not prosecuted under the Act. Enforcement is aimed at businesses offering prohibited online services to Australians.

That does not make every offshore site safe, fair or suitable. It simply separates two issues that are often bundled together:

• the legal position of the provider offering online pokies to Australians;
• the practical risks a player faces when using an offshore website.

A website may display an overseas regulatory reference, but that is not an Australian casino licence. It also does not make the site part of Crown Sydney or The Star. Read the operator’s own terms carefully, and do not infer local protection from Australian wording, Australian dollars or a Sydney address in a promotional page.

High limits, payouts and self-exclusion

Searches for high-limit pokies in Sydney or maximum cash payout pokies in Sydney can mix physical-venue questions with online advertising. The phrase “maximum payout” may refer to a game feature, a venue process or a promotional claim; it does not establish that the product is licensed online for Australian residents.

The same caution applies to “online pokies Sydney no deposit” offers. “No deposit” describes an offer, not legality. Before accepting any promotion, you would need to understand its terms, but no bonus wording can override the prohibition on offering online casino games to Australians.

Self-exclusion needs the same careful separation. A self-exclusion arrangement at a land-based venue is not automatically the same as an offshore online operator’s controls. Do not assume that an offshore casino is covered by BetStop or a national self-exclusion register. A local casino name appearing beside an online offer does not bridge that gap.

If gambling is becoming difficult to control, Gambling Help Online is available for support. Taking a break is more useful than trying to find a larger limit.

The practical test

When you see Crown, Star, casino or pokies on a page, ask what the words actually establish:

1. Is this a physical Sydney venue or an online provider?
2. Is the page genuinely operated by the named venue?
3. Is it offering a product that Australian law permits online?
4. Is someone implying an Australian online pokies licence that does not exist?

That quick check cuts through most of the confusion. Crown Sydney and The Star are venue names. “Pokies” is Australian terminology. “Online” changes the legal question entirely. Don’t let the branding do the checking for you.

Cashless Pokies and Club Play in Sydney

Sydney’s pokies scene is not limited to a casino floor. You’ll find electronic gaming machines in licensed clubs, some hotels and casino venues, each with its own operating setup. That matters because “pokies” describes the game, not the venue’s payment system, membership rules, opening arrangements or player protections.

If you are comparing Sydney clubs with casino play, start with the venue itself. A club in North Sydney is not automatically equivalent to a casino in the city, and a hotel with pokies is not interchangeable with either. The machines may look familiar, but the surrounding conditions can be quite different.

What cashless play actually means

Cashless play means you do not rely on physical notes or coins at the machine. Depending on the venue’s system, funds may be connected to a player account, carded play arrangement or another approved venue process. The important point is simple: you need to confirm how that particular venue operates.

Do not assume that every Sydney venue offering pokies has cashless play. The word “pokies” says nothing about whether a machine accepts a card, whether registration is required, or whether the venue supports a particular digital account. Those are venue-level details.

Before sitting down, check:

• whether cashless play is available at all;
• whether you need venue membership or identification;
• how funds are loaded and withdrawn;
• whether the system shows spend or session information;
• what happens if the card, account or machine has a problem;
• whether the venue offers deposit limits, self-exclusion tools or session reminders.

That last group is worth checking rather than admiring on a poster. A feature only helps if you understand how to use it.

Clubs, hotels and casinos are different settings

Sydney clubs often attract regular local punters, while hotels may be smaller and more limited in their gaming areas. A casino is a separate type of venue, with its own entry arrangements and broader gambling offer. Treating all three as one category makes it harder to compare what you are actually getting.

For a club visit, look at the club’s own current information before travelling. Confirm the gaming area, membership requirements and payment arrangements. For a hotel, check that pokies are actually available at the venue and that the gaming area is operating when you plan to arrive. For a casino, verify the venue’s current conditions directly.

This is especially relevant when you see phrases such as “best paying pokies in Sydney”. A venue label cannot prove that its machines pay better. Nor can “cashless pokies” mean better odds, higher RTP or a greater chance of a jackpot. The game’s mathematical settings and the outcome of each spin are separate from the way you fund play.

Each spin is independent. A win on the previous spin does not improve the next one, and a losing run does not make a win “due”. Cashless technology changes the handling of funds, not that basic fact.

What you can legally play

For Australians, legal gambling options include land-based casinos, licensed bookmakers and lotteries. In the online space, permitted and licensable products include pre-event sports and racing wagering, lotteries and keno.

That distinction matters when a page or advertisement places “online pokies Sydney” beside a local club or casino name. A digital page may use local wording, but that does not turn online casino games into a Sydney venue or create an Australian casino licence. Real-money online casino games, including pokies, are prohibited from being offered to Australian customers under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

So, if you want pokies in Sydney, the relevant legal setting is a physical licensed venue. If you are looking at an online service, do not infer legality, fairness or consumer protection from Australian branding, local currency or the word “pokies”.

Payment language needs the same care. A market-source report states that, since 11 June 2024, credit cards, credit-related products and cryptocurrency have been banned as payment methods for online wagering in Australia. That concerns online wagering payments; it does not turn an online pokies service into a legal casino product.

How to compare a Sydney venue sensibly

I would keep the comparison practical:

1. Identify the venue type. Is it a club, hotel or casino?
2. Confirm the premises. Check that pokies are offered at that specific location.
3. Ask about cashless play. Do not assume it is installed because the venue advertises modern gaming facilities.
4. Check the account process. Find out whether membership, identification or carded play is required.
5. Review the controls. Look for deposit limits, self-exclusion and session reminders where provided.
6. Separate convenience from odds. Cashless access may change how you manage funds, but it does not make a machine a “best paying” pokie.

That approach works whether you are considering Crown Sydney pokies, a casino gaming area elsewhere in the city, or a local club near North Sydney. The name on the building is not a mathematical promise.

If you prefer a hotel setting, confirm the exact venue rather than relying on a map result or a generic “hotel pokies Sydney” listing. If you prefer a club, check its membership and cashless arrangements before you go. And if you are considering casino play, treat the casino’s own current information as the starting point for access and venue conditions.

The useful question is not whether a machine is labelled cashless. It is whether you know where you are playing, how the venue handles funds and what the product legally is. That saves confusion at the door—and money misunderstandings at the machine.

What “Near Sydney” Means When the Site Is Online

When you see wording such as online pokies near Sydney or pokies near Sydney Central, “near” does not mean there is a machine waiting around the corner. An online site has no physical location in the CBD, beside Central Station, or anywhere else in Sydney. The phrase usually describes the intended audience: people in the Sydney area looking for access from home or a phone.

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That distinction matters because location does not create an Australian casino licence. There is no Australian licence for online pokies, and none has ever existed. Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, real-money online casinos offering pokies to Australians are banned. That applies whether the website presents itself as local, uses Australian dollars, accepts PayID, or puts Sydney in its page title.

So what should you make of an offshore site that accepts Australian customers? Offshore casinos operating from Curaçao, Anjouan, or similar jurisdictions do accept Australians. Australian residents can legally play online pokies at licensed offshore casinos, but that is not the same thing as using a locally licensed online casino. The provider’s jurisdiction remains important.

“Near” is not a licence

A Sydney address in a website footer proves very little by itself. Neither does an Australian flag, local spelling, or a list of familiar payment methods. Those details may show that a site is targeting Australian punters, but they do not turn prohibited online pokies into a domestically licensed product.

The legal boundary is easier to understand when you separate products:

• Australian sports and racing wagering can be licensed at state and territory level.
• Lotteries and keno are permitted and licensable products.
• Online casino games, including pokies, are prohibited from being offered to people in Australia.
• No domestically licensed real-money online casino exists for Australian players.

That last point is the one people miss. “Australian-facing” and “Australian-licensed” are not interchangeable descriptions.

What to check on an offshore site

If you are assessing an offshore platform from Sydney, start with the regulator named in its licence information, not with the word “Sydney”. Offshore operators commonly hold licences from Malta or Curaçao, while others may operate under a different recognised jurisdiction. Curaçao and Anjouan are examples of jurisdictions whose operators may accept Australian players.

A proper licence claim should include a licence number and the name of the authority responsible for it. A claimed licence can then be cross-referenced with the regulator’s official website where a public register is available. Malta Gaming Authority and Curaçao licensing authorities maintain public registers for checking a licence number and its status.

That check does not make the site local. It answers a narrower question: whether the operator’s stated offshore authorisation can be verified. Read the site’s terms as well. They should identify the operator, governing jurisdiction, game rules, bonus conditions and withdrawal process in clear language. If the licence wording is vague, the number is missing, or the regulator cannot be found, stop there.

No magic postcode.

Fairness still needs evidence

A platform claiming to be licensed should also explain how its games are tested. Licensed Australian-facing platforms are required to use independently audited random number generators. That is a useful standard to look for in the operator’s compliance or game-information pages, though it does not make the underlying online pokies legal under Australian law.

The important point is not to infer fairness from branding. “Sydney”, “Aussie”, and “near Central” are marketing language. They do not prove licensing, payment support, consumer protection or better odds. The same caution applies to the term pokies itself: it is the familiar Australian word for these games, not a legal badge.

If you are physically in Sydney and want a legal gambling option, the product matters first. Licensed land-based venues, licensed bookies for permitted wagering, and lotteries sit in different legal categories from online casino games. Moving from a venue to a website does not carry the venue’s permissions with you.

For an online player, “near Sydney” should therefore be read as a convenience label, not a map reference. Check the operator’s jurisdiction, verify any licence claim through the relevant authority, and remember the central fact: an offshore licence is not an Australian online-pokies licence.

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The Star Sydney and the Reality of 24-Hour Play

The Star Sydney is a named land-based venue, so “The Star Sydney pokies” means something different from an online casino page using Sydney in its marketing. If you are heading to the casino, you are looking for physical electronic gaming machines at a particular venue, not proof that every online pokie site is legal or locally licensed.

That distinction matters late at night. A venue may operate beyond ordinary evening hours, but that does not let me promise a 24-hour pokies service, continuous access to every gaming area, or unchanged arrangements on every night. Trading hours, entry conditions, machine availability and venue operations are details to confirm directly with The Star before you leave home. Search snippets age badly. Travel plans cost real money.

What to confirm first

Before making the trip, check:

• whether the gaming floor is open when you intend to arrive;
• whether entry requirements or identification rules apply;
• whether the machines and facilities you want are available;
• whether any temporary closure or changed operating arrangement affects your visit.

Do not treat the phrase “24-hour pokies Sydney” as a timetable. It describes what someone wants to find, not a verified promise from a venue. The same applies to a map result: a pin can identify a location without confirming current opening arrangements.

The Star is therefore best assessed as one specific, land-based option. Australians can legally play at land-based casinos, licensed bookies and lotteries, but those categories are not interchangeable. A bookie is not a casino floor, and an online casino advert is not a Sydney venue.

There is another boundary worth keeping clear. Online casino games, including pokies, are prohibited from being offered to people in Australia. So a website that uses The Star’s name, Sydney references or “open all night” language does not become an authorised online version of the venue. It is a separate claim that should not be confused with travelling to a physical casino.

If you want the real venue experience, confirm the details with the venue itself, then decide whether the journey suits you. If you want online pokies, do not assume Sydney branding changes their legal status. Different setting. Different issue.

Pokies Near Sydney Airport: Check the Venue, Not the Keyword

If you have just landed, the phrase “pokies near Sydney Airport” sounds straightforward. It is not. A result that mentions the airport does not prove that the venue is inside the terminal, on airport property, open when you arrive, or offering the kind of play you want.

Start with the address. Check whether the venue is genuinely near Sydney Airport or merely using the airport as a landmark for a wider area. Maps can blur that distinction, especially when a listing is written for travellers rather than locals. Look for a current street address, transport details and direct contact information. If those details are missing or inconsistent, treat the listing as a lead, not a confirmed destination.

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Then check the hours directly. A business profile may show outdated opening times, holiday changes or incomplete information about gaming-room access. The venue itself is the only sensible place to confirm whether pokies are available when you plan to visit. A restaurant or hotel can appear in the same results without operating gaming machines at all. Search results are not a timetable.

The legal distinction matters as well. Australians can legally use land-based casinos and other lawful local gambling options, while online casino games, including pokies, are prohibited from being offered to people in Australia. That means a page advertising “airport pokies” online is not evidence of a local venue or an Australian casino licence. The word pokies proves nothing about licensing, consumer protection or payment support.

A quick traveller’s check

Before leaving the airport area, confirm:

• the exact venue address and distance from your terminal;
• current opening arrangements with the venue;
• that pokies, rather than another gambling product, are available there;
• whether the venue’s entry requirements suit you;
• that you are dealing with a physical, land-based business.

I would also avoid relying on a booking page, map pin or promotional headline alone. Those can be useful starting points, but they do not replace a direct check. Airport-area listings change, and a short taxi ride can become an expensive detour when the listing was never as local as it sounded.

The practical rule is simple: confirm the venue first, then decide whether the trip is worth it. Landing nearby is not the same as playing on-site.

Late-Night Sydney Pokies: What “Open Now” Leaves Out

An “open now” label is a useful starting point, not proof that you can walk in and play. Sydney venues change their hours, close selected areas, or operate under arrangements that differ between weekdays, weekends and public holidays. A listing can also lag behind the venue. That is how a late-night plan turns into a locked door.

If you are looking for 24-hour pokies venues in Sydney, check the venue’s own current information before leaving. Confirm:

• whether the gaming area is open, not just the bar or restaurant;
• whether entry is available at your intended time;
• whether membership, identification or another entry condition applies;
• whether temporary closures or changed hours affect that night;
• whether the venue offers land-based pokies rather than merely appearing beside online results.

Do not treat “24-hour” as a permanent promise. It may describe a trading pattern recorded by a directory, an older listing, or a particular part of a venue. It does not establish that every machine is available throughout the night. Nor does the word “pokies” prove licensing, payment support or consumer protection.

The same caution applies to phrases such as “open late” and “open now”. They compress several separate facts into two words: the venue may be accessible, the gaming floor may be operating, and the available machines may be in service. Those details need checking directly. A quick call or a current official update is less exciting than trusting a stale badge, but it is cheaper than a wasted trip.

There is also no winning logic hidden in the clock. Each spin on a pokie is independent, so a quiet run earlier in the evening has no bearing on the next outcome. Staying until dawn does not make a machine “due”. That is the sort of story tired punters tell themselves when the room is nearly empty.

For a legal land-based option, you are dealing with the venue’s current arrangements, not an online promise that runs continuously. Licensed bookies and lotteries are separate legal gambling products, while land-based casinos are another permitted option. Match the product to the venue, verify access, and set your own stopping point before the late hour makes that decision for you.

Pokies Payout Percentage: Read RTP Without Fooling Yourself

When people talk about a Sydney pokies payout percentage, they usually mean RTP, or Return to Player. It is the theoretical amount a game returns over a very long run of play, expressed as a percentage. That figure can help you compare game information, but it is not a forecast for your afternoon at the venue.

A machine with a published RTP does not owe you a result because earlier spins went badly. Each spin is independent. The previous outcome has no bearing on the next one, so a run of losses does not make a win “due”. Nor does a recent win make the next spin less likely to pay.

RTP is not a session promise

RTP works across a large volume of spins, not as a personal guarantee. Your own result can sit well above or below the theoretical figure. A short visit is simply too small a sample to reproduce the long-term average neatly.

That is why I treat payout percentages as background information, not a target. Read the game rules and the stated RTP where it is available, then keep your expectations modest. The number describes the maths of the game, not what you will take home.

Check volatility as well

RTP is only part of the picture. Volatility describes how a pokie tends to distribute its returns:

• High-volatility pokies pay less frequently, but winning amounts can be larger.
• Low-volatility pokies pay more often, but wins tend to be smaller.

Two games can therefore have similar RTP figures while feeling completely different during a session. One may produce long quiet stretches; another may deliver frequent small hits without changing the overall risk of losing money.

So when comparing Sydney pokies, do not call the highest stated percentage “best” and stop there. Look at RTP, volatility and the rules together. Then remember the blunt bit: no percentage predicts your next spin.

Max Bet Pokies in Sydney: The Number Is Not the Strategy

A maximum bet is simply the largest stake a game allows on one spin. It is a setting, not a recommendation. If you are comparing pokies available around Sydney, treat that figure as a boundary to understand—not a target to chase.

Online pokies can accept anything from a few cents to hundreds of dollars per spin. That wide range makes the displayed maximum look more important than it really is. A higher limit changes how quickly money can be committed, but it does not make the game more predictable. Each spin remains independent, and the previous result has no bearing on the next outcome.

That last point matters when a large win has just appeared, or when a run of losses tempts you to increase the stake. The machine has no memory. Raising the bet does not make it “due”, and lowering it does not improve the next spin’s chance. It only changes the amount exposed on that spin.

What to check before playing

Look at the game’s bet controls and identify:

• the minimum stake;
• the maximum stake;
• whether lines, ways or features alter the total wager;
• whether an autoplay setting can repeat the selected amount.

The important figure is your total stake per spin, not just the amount shown beside a single line or coin value. Some interfaces make that distinction easy to miss. I have made that mistake myself; the button rarely looks guilty.

A sensible approach is to choose a stake before starting and keep it consistent with the amount you have set aside for entertainment. Do not increase it to recover losses or assume the maximum unlocks a better outcome. A max-bet pokies option in Sydney is still governed by independent spins. The number changes your exposure. Nothing more.

Pokies Open Till 5am: Verify Before You Head Out

Finding a Sydney venue that accepts pokie players until 5am is not something I’d treat as settled from a listing alone. Late-night pages can be outdated, confuse a nearby club with a casino, or show general venue hours rather than the hours for gaming areas. The useful answer is the one you confirm before leaving home.

Start with the venue itself. Check its current website, phone line, or official social account, then ask specifically whether the gaming room will be open at the time you plan to arrive. “Open” can mean the bar, restaurant, or wider building, not necessarily access to pokies. Those are different things.

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You should also confirm the address. Sydney has plenty of names that sound close enough on a map, while the actual venue may be outside the area you had in mind. A late-night result is not proof that the venue is operating, licensed, or offering the particular form of play you want. It is a lead, not a guarantee.

For land-based play, stick to a casino or club that is authorised to operate in the relevant jurisdiction. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the main federal law governing online gambling in Australia, but it does not turn an online listing into a physical venue. Legal options for Australians include land-based casinos, licensed bookies, and lotteries; those categories should not be casually blended together.

Before heading out, check:

• the exact street address;
• whether pokies are available, rather than only food or bar service;
• whether the gaming area remains open until your planned arrival;
• any entry, membership, or identification requirements;
• whether the venue’s own contact details confirm the late closing time.

If nobody can confirm the 5am claim, change the plan. A wasted trip is cheaper than assuming a search snippet knows the timetable.

Responsible Gambling

Prepared by the Aussie Punter Info editorial staff.