Latest news with #cashlessGaming
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Chris Minns accused of misrepresenting cashless gaming trial after labelling it ‘ineffective'
The New South Wales premier has been accused of 'misrepresenting' advice from an independent panel on poker machine reform by flagging he may 'walk away from cashless gambling altogether'. The criticism from charity and advocate groups came as one Labor backbencher warned his western Sydney electorate had 'felt the brunt of gambling-related harm for too long' and urged the state government to introduce further crackdowns. Banning cash and the anonymous use of the state's almost 90,000 poker machines was a key recommendation of a 2022 NSW crime commission report, which warned billions of dollars in dirty money was being laundered through pokies. The trial, launched in early 2024, was also described by the state government as one way to help monitor gambling harm across the state. Almost $24m was lost to poker machines each day during the first quarter of this year. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Despite the trial drawing just 14 'genuine and active' participants, a report by government-appointed experts called for cashless gaming to become mandatory in 2028. After nearly six months, the state government is yet to formally respond to the report's key findings. On Friday, hours after a damning audit of poker machine regulation, Chris Minns criticised his government's own trial. 'Despite everybody's best effort to have cashless gaming rolled out across NSW gaming, it's largely proved to be ineffective,' Minns said. 'It hasn't worked, it's not driven down the incidents of problem gambling, the take-up rate has been lower than we thought, the cost of compliance is enormous, astronomical. 'I can't really justify, when we want to be putting money into new public schools and brand new public transport, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a compliance network for pubs and clubs across the state.' Minns told reporters his government was looking to take action 'but in a responsible way'. The comments angered the charity Wesley Mission, which was a member of the independent panel advising government. 'The premier's comments last week indicate his government has every intention of binning the panel's reform roadmap report and walking away from cashless gambling altogether,' said Wesley Mission's general manager, Jim Wackett. Wackett said Minns had 'totally misrepresented the outcomes of the trial'. The panel's executive committee described the trial as 'a great success' and stressed it 'should not be overlooked or understated'. '[Minns] claimed cashless gambling had been tried and failed and it didn't change anyone's behaviour,' Wackett said. 'The trial was never about changing people's behaviour, it was about seeing if cashless technology worked – and it did.' The NSW Council of Social Service's chief executive, Cara Varian, said the premier's comments were 'concerning' and urged the government to 'stay focused' on implementing the panel's recommendations. The council was also a member of the panel. 'We know that cashless gambling is an effective tool to minimise gambling harm,' Varian said. 'Pokies tear people, families and communities apart – and disproportionately impact people on low incomes, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage.' Minns' office declined to comment on the criticism. A spokesperson for the gaming minister, David Harris, said the independent panel's report 'flagged the significant complexities involved with reform in this area'. 'The government is committed to building on these reforms with evidence-based measures that we know will make a difference,' the spokesperson said. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, who represents the party on gambling policy, said the premier's comments were 'a cop out'. 'The government was warned that a cashless gaming trial only applied to a limited number of poker machines would never work because most people would choose not to participate, which is what happened,' Faehrmann said. Labor MP David Saliba, who represents the seat of Fairfield, said he was pleased the state government's had accepted all recommendations from an audit office report that found targets for harm minimisation had not been set. 'Fairfield has felt the brunt of gambling-related harm for too long,' Saliba said. 'The minister for gaming has always made himself available, and I have made my views clear about the impact of gaming-harm on Fairfield. 'I have been pleased the government has implemented so many harm minimisation reforms since taking office and is taking this issue seriously. I am hopeful there will be further reforms to come.'
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘It's a moral issue': Jacinta Allan faces backlash from own MPs as pokies reforms stall
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has faced a backlash from 'really upset' Labor MPs after her government delayed key reforms designed to reduce gambling harm from poker machines, with one MP confronting her at a caucus meeting. Last year, the government introduced a bill to parliament to set up cashless gaming, with a trial to begin at 40 venues in mid-2025, but it has stalled for months. The delayed action will ensure the state government receives more money from poker machines across the state next financial year, with Victorians already losing more than $3bn to pokies each year. Multiple Labor sources have confirmed the issue was raised at a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, with one MP telling the premier the changes were 'good policy that would improve the lives of Victorians'. Labor MPs have also separately raised concerns the state's budget appears increasingly reliant on gambling revenue. 'This is not a political issue, it's a moral one,' said one Labor MP who was at the caucus meeting on Tuesday. 'Caucus members from across factional lines are really upset to see that not only has the cashless trial has been delayed but that we are also going to see an increase in revenue from poker machines over the forward estimates.' 'They are very upset and they are raising their concerns, including in front of the premier.' Last week's budget confirmed 'a forecast increase in gaming taxation revenue estimates'. The state is expected to receive $5.9bn in taxes from poker machines over the next four years. 'Growth in electronic gaming machine revenue is expected to slow as gambling harm minimisation measures take effect in hotels and clubs,' the budget paper said. It comes after the bill enabling the government to launch a trial of cashless or card-based play – already in use at Crown Casino – was introduced to parliament in November and was scheduled to begin at 40 venues in mid-2025 before it became mandatory in 2027. But the trial has been delayed, as the bill has stalled in parliament. It passed the lower house in March, with debate only beginning in the upper house on Tuesday – despite support from the 'progressive crossbench', including the Greens, Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis. The premier last week said negotiations with the crossbench were underway and she was 'committed to those reforms'. Those at Tuesday's meeting said the gaming minister, Enver Erdogan, explained the trial had been delayed due to issues with the technology and the government was seeking to 'find a better way to roll it out'. Erdogan, who has been approached for comment, reportedly told the party room that the technology – based on the government's voluntary pre-commitment system, YourPlay, first introduced in December 2015 – was 'out of date'. An MP at the meeting said Erdogan wanted to set up a more efficient system before its introduction. The MP, who declined to be named, said the objections raised over the delay were not prompted by anger, but 'a feeling of genuine disappointment' among colleagues, several of whom represent outer suburban and lower socio-economic areas and are deeply concerned about soaring gambling losses among their constituents. Another Labor MP told Guardian Australia gambling losses in their electorate had doubled post-Covid. 'We have a responsibility to try to minimise harm for those most vulnerable in our community,' they said. Former state and federal Labor MP, Kelvin Thompson, who has spent decades campaigning for tougher regulation on poker machines, was unhappy with the delay. 'It's very disappointing that these reforms have not proceeded and gambling harm remains a major problem for the Victorian community and the government needs to act swiftly to reduce this,' Thompson said. Tim Costello, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, said the state government was willing to fast-track a ban on machetes, but not measures to limit gambling harm.
