NSW Liberals leader Kellie Sloane says the Coalition will “review” its signature cashless gaming policy – a move gambling experts warn will ease pressure on the Minns government to act on poker machine reform.

Cashless gaming was former premier Dominic Perrottet’s signature policy leading into the 2023 state election after a scathing NSW Crime Commission report recommended that cash be removed from poker machines in a bid to curb money-laundering.

Sloane said the opposition was “reviewing” the policy to ensure it was still fit for purpose given the changes in poker machine technology that have evolved since Perrottet made his cashless pledge.

“We are not moving away from our moral position to reduce gambling harm, but there have been rapid advancements in technology and we need to modernise and sharpen our policy,” Sloane said.

“There is no retreat from cashless gambling reform. Our commitment to reducing harm hasn’t moved. We’re looking at the policy before the election to reflect new technology so it’s practical, balanced and genuinely works.”

Her comments came as a surprise to her colleagues. One senior Liberal politician, not authorised to speak publicly, said not pursuing cashless gambling would be incompatible with Sloane’s focus on families.

Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said he was shocked by the apparent turnaround, which he said represented a “capitulation to the gaming industry who clearly run the state”.

“The opposition at least put pressure on the NSW government,” Costello said. “So to have an opposition leader singing from the same song sheet as the gambling industry and the Minns government is terrible for NSW in terms of social harm.”

The Minns government has introduced gambling reforms including a ban on gaming signage, a ban on political donations from gambling companies, a reduction in the cash input limit from $5000 to $500 on new machines, and a reduction in the statewide cap on gaming machine entitlements.

However, the amount lost on poker machines continues to rise year-on-year.

NSW gaming venues raked in $2.3 billion from poker machines in the second quarter of 2025 – an increase of 8.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. The figures for the third quarter of 2025 were due to be released in November.

Sloane first raised doubts about whether the Liberals would continue to pursue cashless gaming in response to a question from a listener on 702 ABC.

“When the Coalition went to the last election, Dominic Perrottet, who was the premier at the time, proposed cashless gaming,” Sloane said.

“That’s something we will review at the moment … I’m very happy to work with industry to look at a policy that you know will have a real impact on the ground – a real and genuine reduction in problem gambling and harmful gambling practices in our state.”

Pressed by breakfast host Hamish Macdonald on her commitment to the policy, she said: “I think we have to review it because the technology has changed in the last few years, but what we are committed to is addressing problem gambling – that hasn’t changed.”

Sloane was not able to articulate for the Herald what technological changes justified a review of the policy, saying it was still being developed with the opposition’s gaming spokesman, Nationals MP Kevin Anderson.

A government-sponsored trial of cashless gaming between March and September 2024 attracted only 14 genuine participants, and the government is yet to respond to the findings.

Gaming Consultants International principal Neil Spencer said the cashless gambling trial did not meet expectations because it was too onerous to sign up, and the government was currently working on ways to transfer funds directly onto a machine that did not involve a “digital wallet”.

“I think that’s where government is heading but there’s nothing to indicate any glaring hole [in the cashless gaming concept],” he said.

The Coalition’s review of its cashless gambling policy follows the government’s decision to revoke exemptions that have allowed venues to trade between 4am and 10am during the mandatory shutdown of poker machines.

More than 670 venues will have to reprosecute their cases as to why they should be granted exemptions to the rule aimed at stopping play during the hours that punters are most likely to be experiencing gambling harm.

When considering whether to allow an exemption, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority will take into account the venue’s profits, the number of staff it employs, demand for late-night gaming and donations to charities.

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