Cashless pokies seem set to become a permanent feature in Sydney and the rest of New South Wales. While the initial proposal took those opposed to it by surprise, disapproval of the move has been galvanized and many disparate voices have now risen in unison.
Where the story began
The NSW pokie industry stands tallest among all the Australian states. Pokies in NSW take in over $6 billion per year, with more than 90,000 machines providing gamblers with their fix. The state ranks second in the world behind Nevada for its total number of pokies.
Victor Dominello, the official responsible for gambling under NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s coalition government, recently tabled draft legislation intended to address problem gambling and create an easily adaptable model for other states.
Cashless pokies were not mentioned in the draft legislation which rather focused on facial recognition technology as a primary measure. The news that cashless pokies would form part of the proposal was only released a week later.
The cashless pokie challenge
Under the legislation, certain requirements would have to be met.
All pokies would convert to cashless technology. Whether this would be achieved by modifying or replacing existing pokies is not yet clear.
NSW residents would be compelled to obtain a card to play pokies. This would require them to register with the government and, provided they are not on the national gambling self-exclusion list, they will be eligible for a card that can be loaded with money at the owner’s discretion.
The NSW government would have access to information regarding which residents are pokie players, how much they’re spending and where they’re playing.
Sole supporter
Among the clamour of opposition, a single voice in support of the proposal has emerged. Most wouldn’t be surprised to learn that that voice belongs to Tim Costello, the long-standing advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
Mr. Costello stated, “It is immensely encouraging to have a minister responsible for gambling in NSW seeking significant reform to support people experiencing issues with gambling, and also speaking about the harms poker machines do in what is effectively the non-casino pokies capital of the world.”
A chorus of disapproval
The advantage of numbers is clearly on the side of those speaking out against the planned measure. Tania Mihailuk the Labour Party representative from Bankstown, fired off a tweet voicing her opposition, writing, “This isn’t about stopping gambling…nothing new to control online gambling????…this is about killing our local Clubs and more unnecessary red tape.”
Michael Daley, Maroubra’s Labour Party representative, expressed a similarly derisive view of Dominello’s proposal, but still admitted that problem gambling does need to be addressed. He expressed his concern at the “civil liberties aspect where the government is recording biometrics or tracking someone’s activities through a card.”
This issue seems to have bridged even the political divide, The NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party has also spoken out in unison with its labour-aligned counterparts. Party leader Robert Borsak said, “The economic impact on NRL and AFL sporting clubs, on community RSLs, bowling clubs, country pubs, and their community support activities will be devastating.”
Josh Landis, the head of Clubs NSW, expressed doubt at the viability of the proposal. He commented, “Gaming revenue has fallen 14% year-on-year as a result of the 10-week industry shutdown, while food and beverage takings are down 60% to 70%. I don’t think anyone would agree that the middle of a pandemic is the right time to introduce onerous new compliance requirements.”
