Gaming Minister Kevin Anderson refuses to rule out cashless gaming card after Cabinet fury
It sparked a massive split in the NSW Cabinet, but the proposal for a cashless gaming card may still be in play as the state ponders the fight against money laundering in pokie rooms.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A proposal for a controversial cashless gaming card which caused a fiery split in NSW Cabinet last year remains on the table, with new gaming Minister Kevin Anderson saying a “range of solutions” are being considered to clamp down on money laundering.
The Tamworth MP – who in December was given control of the gaming portfolio from Victor Dominello – signalled the cashless gaming proposal had not been axed when approached by The Daily Telegraph.
He did say he was not in favour of a blanket approach in all areas of the state to non-cash payments at clubs and pubs, saying “different communities have different needs”.
It comes as ClubsNSW prepares to unveil a state-first trial of a “digital wallet” at the Newcastle Wests club, with patrons able to use their smart phones to pay for pokies, beverages and meals – although the trial will still enable punters to pay with cash.
“We know the industry is open to implementing cashless solutions that will benefit the whole community,” Mr Anderson said.
“We also recognise that different venues and different communities have different needs.
“The NSW government is looking at a range of solutions including minimum technology standards across the machines which will allow the industry to innovate and find a solution that will benefit their unique communities.”
It’s understood Premier Dominic Perrottet is in favour of the cashless gaming card, although a spokesman referred questions on the issue to Mr Anderson.
First raised as part of a raft of measures by Mr Dominello to clamp down on money laundering through pokie machines, the proposal for government-regulated mandatory cards has been fiercely opposed by senior government ministers including David Elliott, who described it as an intrusion on law-abiding pokies players’ privacy.
The Telegraph reported last month there was evidence that tens of millions of dollars were being laundered by organised crime groups through poker machines at specific clubs across Sydney, according to authorities.
ClubsNSW will undertake the digital wallet trial after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Government, but has opposed making the move mandatory and rubbing out cash completely.
“Our organisation has long advocated that people should have the ability to pay for play on a poker machine using cash or a digital wallet, just as they have options in how they pay for anything else,” a ClubsNSW spokeswoman said.
Initially scheduled to commence in 2021, the state’s Covid-19 lockdown has instead seen the clubs trial pushed back to this year.
The trial will include money limits – although it’s unclear what maximum figure it’ll be capped at – as well as session time caps.
Household budgets drowning in insurance price hikes amid floods
Homeowners are being forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars for flood insurance they may never need – with premiums increasing by 900 per cent in ten years. See the reasons here.
‘Too noisy’: whingeing locals target popular Sydney club
A inner west community club is sandwiched between two train lines and under the flight path, but a handful of locals complain that the noise is overbearing.