NSW will move to completely cashless poker machines and players will be required to register for a government-issued gambling card in the most significant gaming reforms in the state's history.
Senior cabinet minister Victor Dominello, who has responsibility for gambling, has crossbench support in the upper house for the changes, including from the Greens and One Nation's Mark Latham, to ensure the sweeping new laws can pass.NSW's 95,000 poker machines bring in $1 billion in state taxes each year and create as many as 100,000 jobs, including in sophisticated gaming machine manufacture.
Pubs and clubs have slammed the draft legislation released last week, warning measures such as facial recognition would cost the industry millions at a time when it can least afford it. The NSW Australian Hotels Association has also warned that pubs were already struggling to survive amid the pandemic and could not cope with expensive regulation.
But there are no sanctions for an individual or venue for breaching a banning order, and last year's NSW Gambling Survey showed that 92 per cent of excluded gamblers were successful in regaining entry to a venue. He said pubs and clubs played an important role in the community and were a "modern meeting place" that provided social support in the form of grants and donations."As a member of the taskforce to open up the NSW economy, I strongly advocated for an earlier opening of pubs and clubs as they provide employment for thousands of people," Mr Dominello said.
so all the bogans who voted for One Nation that love a quick slap on the slots look what your wasted vote has done
$1B in state tax is an extraordinary amount. That’s over $100 from every man woman and child in NSW
The same applies to users of tobacco and alcohol. The direct medical consequences on the permitted use of these two drugs requires far greater attention than stigmatizing and controlling those who enjoy gambling as a past time. It would be only fair to include sports and racing
VictorDominello if you really want to help gamblers you will make loot boxes in mobile gaming illegal and also make online slots like Slotmania illegal
This wont stop problem gambling. It will stop those who once in a while pop a few dollars through.
pauloliver9999 Police State EOS
I can see all the pensioners will be calling each other today saying have you read about the gaming card.....lmao.....they live and breathe pokies, you see them perched on a barstool at a machine every pension day.....they won't be happy about this.
the end of the closet gambler!
Can we just ban pokies? The last thing Australians need in a pandemic is a money drain.