The idea was that such a card would help curb the activities of problem gamblers – with the added factor it might also stem money laundering in gambling venues. One of the most controversial elements of the proposal was a plan to transition pokie players from dropping the odd pineapple on the slots to having to register and pre-load money onto regulated, cashless cards that would be linked to the gambler’s identity. The special minister of state, John Graham, said the bill would bring other parties in line with Labor’s internal policy change enacted in January not to accept donations from clubs with gaming machines.Last October, NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello proposed revolutionary reforms to liquor and gaming laws that he oversees. The new government has set a mid-year deadline to set up an independent panel of experts to oversee its planned expanded 12-month trial of cashless gaming before committing to an expanded rollout. Total gaming machine net profits jumped 11% to $4.26bn – 24% higher than the $3.44bn reached in the last six months of 2019. The crossbench has since expanded and will seek to use Labor’s minority status in both houses to push for greater action on problem gambling and money laundering after the government’s policy was criticised of being too soft at the election.ĭata recently released by Liquor and Gaming NSW revealed $4.3bn was lost to poker machines in the second half of last year – $820m more than the total losses recorded in a similar period before the pandemic. He had joined forces with members of the crossbench, including the independent Sydney MP, Alex Greenwich, vowing to introduce cashless gambling systems to reduce problem gambling and criminal activity with the clubs. The state was on the verge of major gaming reform when the Coalition government of Dominic Perrottet was voted out of power in March.

He hoped the “overdue reform” would enjoy support across the parliament.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup “This bill is an important integrity measure to strengthening the political donation system in our state.” “Our bill closes a political loophole,” he said. The premier, Chris Minns, said the bill would bring clubs in line with other gambling bodies. Labor had vowed to ban such donations in the lead-up to the March election, amid a campaign by the state’s powerful clubs lobby opposing proposed reforms to poker machine gambling, including the Coalition’s pledge to introduce mandatory cashless gaming.

Nsw poker machine laws