Premier welcomes move to ban pokie-addicted parents, beggars from clubs

Tough new measures to tackle self-regulate problem gambling in NSW clubs have been welcomed by the Premier.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has welcomed a new code of practice from Clubs NSW that will lead to bans for anyone who leaves children unattended to play the pokies or tries to borrow money to play gaming machines.

Clubs will also be required to ban suspected criminals – including people who insert cash into gaming machines and then withdraw it without playing any games.

The measures are part of a new ClubsNSW code of practice that will be mandatory for member venues, and is designed to negate calls for sweeping government intervention.

The code is the industry’s latest attempt to reform poker machines, in the wake of political pressure backing a mandatory cashless gaming card.

Clubs would be required, under the industry code, to ban anyone who displays signs of problem gambling – such as trying to borrow money for poker machines or asking for credit to play.

A raft of gamblers would be banned from NSW clubs if they violate the new code of conduct.

Anyone who leaves a child unattended to play poker machines will also be banned, and clubs will need to perform “welfare checks” on anyone playing the pokies for three hours’ at a time.

ClubsNSW have also backed third-party exclusion for problem gamblers, which would allow family members to ban loved ones from the pokies.

Legislation needs to be passed to allow people to be involuntarily added to the excluded gamblers register.

Premier Dominic Perrottet welcomed the new code of practice from Clubs NSW.

Mr Perrottet said the move was a “good announcement” that could help curb problem gambling, but said he was surprised the bans were not previously in place.

“You would have thought that this would already be the case, but if it’s not I welcome any move from clubs to make that change,” he said.

Mr Perrottet gave a guarantee that his government will finalise a response to a 2022 Crime Commission report into money laundering through poker machines before the election.

People who borrow money to gamble or those who leave their kids unsupervised will be among those banned.

However he would not provide details of his upcoming cashless gaming card policy.

“You get one chance at solving the problem, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Mr Perrottet said.

“This is not a piecemeal approach, this is a comprehensive response to the Crime Commission Report.”

Labor Leader Chris Minns has already pledged to legislate for third-party exclusion if he wins the March election.

The Daily Telegraph understands that the government will also legislate to allow third-party exclusion as part of its pokies reforms.

ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis said the code of practice would be an effective way of stopping problem gambling and preventing criminals laundering money through poker machines.

ClubsNSW’s Josh Landis.

“We strongly believe that the best solutions come from frontline workers rather than bureaucrats or activists. This Code represents the best ideas from industry experts for addressing problem gambling and eliminating the proceeds of crime from clubs while protecting jobs and community contributions,” he said.

“Unlike the proposed mandatory cashless card, the Code is a cost-effective and targeted approach to gaming reform.”

Suspected money-launderers (including people who offer to buy winning pokies tickets from other players) could also face lifetime bans.

“The industry is committed to assisting law enforcement identify those in clubs who may have engaged in spending the proceeds of criminal activity,” Mr Landis said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has repeatedly said that his government will impose a cashless gaming card statewide, although has so-far failed to release any details of his pokies plan.

As recently as last week, Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader Paul Toole refused to say whether he thought a cashless gaming card should apply to all venues across the state.