NSW Crime Commission considering major changes to pokie laws
Major changes to current poker machine laws including slashing credit limits and player identification are just two of a raft of measures being suggested to stop the money laundering scourge.
NSW
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Credit limits on pokies could be slashed while tickets would include the identity of the player and bet details under a raft of measures the NSW Crime Commission is considering to stamp out money laundering.
Club and hotel staff working with gaming machines would be forced to declare they have no connections with organised criminal groups or people involved in serious crime while legislation could be introduced to enable those suspected of being a member or associate to be immediately disqualified.
And everyone including club board members and hotel managers could be forced to undergo formal training on anti-money laundering under the measures being put out for discussion as part of a Commission inquiry underway into the “washing” of dirty money via election gaming machines.
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The measures have been floated in two separate issues papers released on Friday to “elicit additional information” with the Commission calling on stakeholders to comment as part of the inquiry submission process.
The crime authority declared the posing of the questions did not necessarily mean they would become the subject of findings or recommendations with those being drafted in light of other material and evidence gathered during the course of the inquiry.
Commissioner Michael Barnes said while laws under which the Commission operated required the inquiry to be held in private, experts, industry stakeholders and members of the public were invited to respond to the questions raised in the papers.
“Because of the requirements of the Act under which we operate, our inquiries to date have
been held in-camera, but the investigation would be assisted greatly if those with special
insight to the activities in question were to make submissions,” Mr Barnes said.
The issues papers cover the employment and training of staff in licensed venues with gaming machines, and also the collection of data and transaction monitoring opportunities “to better prevent and detect money laundering in the sector”.
They also cover credit limits in gaming machines, noting how gaming machines approved for use in NSW since May 2020 can accept up to $5000 – or up to $9999 for with older machines dating back to the 1990s.
Credit limits in other States and Territories range from $99.99 in South Australia to $1000 in Victoria and the Northern Territory.
The inquiry is considering whether the NSW limit should be reduced on the basis that it may deter potential money launderers by reducing the amount of cash that could be inserted into an gaming machine at any one time “thereby making it harder for criminals to cleanse illicit money”.
Other measures being explored include requiring gaming machine tickets to include the identity of the player, the amount of money inserted, the amount wagered (bet) or the amount won or lost during the course of play to allow staff to determine how much was actually won, rather than just “washed”.
The issues papers also note how gaming machine tickets are anonymous with now legal requirement for a ticket to identify the person who played the gaming machines “whether by name or player card identification number”.
The papers noted how “in many circumstances” this anonymity continued at the ticket redemption stage because a requirement for clubs and hotels to obtain player details only kicked in when the value of accumulated credits was over $5,000 or when a ticket valued at $5,000 or less was redeemed after the day following the date of issue.
The inquiry is being conducted in partnership with the independent Liquor
& Gaming Authority, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC, and comes amid a leaked report to News Corp into money laundering at licensed venues.
Submissions should be made by July 22.
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