Health workers’ union backs cashless gaming as mysterious robo-call questioned

One of the state’s largest unions has backed Premier Dominic Perrottet’s promise to turn NSW poker machines cashless, insisting the time for trials and talk has “been and past”.

The NSW branch of the Health Services Union will on Thursday call for all sides of politics to back the switch to cashless gaming because cracking down on problem gambling and money laundering will also help public health.

It is the second union to side with the NSW Coalition government on gambling reform, as debate over the hotly contested issue intensifies less than four months out from the looming state election.

HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes supports cashless gaming.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

Separately, a mysterious “robo-call” phone survey targeting voters with untested claims about the impacts of cashless card technology has been referred to the NSW Electoral Commission by gambling reform advocates.

ClubsNSW has said it is not responsible for the survey. The Herald contacted the Australian Hotels Association, but it did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Perrottet on Wednesday would not be drawn on the accuracy of the phone survey’s claims that clubs and pubs “will be made to spend millions” on the new technology and that it threatened club funding for local sporting groups.

While he is yet to release a policy on a broader trial for cashless gaming, the premier was adamant his government would transition the industry to cashless gaming.

“I’ll tell you where the destination is, and that’s cashless pokie machines in this state. That’s what we’re going to do,” he said.

“If I’ve learnt anything in 12 years in parliament, it’s that you work through the issues holistically and come out with a package that works.”

The HSU NSW is the second union to back statewide pokies reform after the body representing gaming room employees last month supported cashless gaming to protect members from harms, including a high rate of problem gambling among staff and frequent exposure to distressing incidents.

HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said health workers faced the real-world daily impacts of pokies in the form of domestic violence, relationship breakdown and acute mental health episodes.

“The time for talk has been and past. To me, it’s a no-brainer. You can still gamble. You can put $5, $10 or $20 through, but you can’t put your house through.”

As Perrottet garners union support, Opposition Leader Chris Minns on Wednesday said Labor was willing to examine changes to the gaming sector, but insisted poker machine reform was not an issue that would define the March 2023 state election.

“There are many issues to deal with the political leaders in this state, but I genuinely believe cost of living, privatisation and the performance of schools and hospitals will be why and where people make their decision in March next year,” Minns said.

“In my view, and I can only really use my lived experience ... the people of NSW seem passionately exercised about the cost of living.”

However, Hayes – who oversees more than 48,000 health workers as HSU secretary – said he believed the issue was central to the cost of living crisis.

“I think it is an election issue, it’s a moral issue,” he said. “This is a community issue and a social issue – they are fundamental to elections.”

Minns said Perrottet was short on detail when it came to reforming the state’s gaming sector.

“I’ve never underestimated what a tricky and clever politician Dominic Perrottet is. There wouldn’t be too many politicians in the state that would get away with a statement like ‘that’s my destination’ and have it sold to the general public,” Minns said.

“I’ve seen no plan, no agenda, no policy, no law, no legislation, nothing on the table for us to accept or reject.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns.Credit: Renee Nowytarger, Dominic Lorrimer

The Herald understands the government is consulting gambling reform advocates and industry representatives on how cashless technology could be adopted in pubs and clubs and what role it would play in facilitating a rollout.

The state’s powerful clubs lobby group this week launched a targeted attack on regional independent backbencher Helen Dalton for supporting poker machine changes – a tactic widely seen as a warning shot to Liberal and Nationals MPs ahead of the March election.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Alliance for Gambling Reform called on Minns to support a mandatory cashless scheme, with chief advocate Tim Costello insisting scare campaigns led by gambling lobby groups would fail if a bipartisan position could be reached.

“The scare campaign and bullying of the clubs lobby can be completely neutered if both major parties in NSW committed to the cashless card,” Costello said.

The gambling reform group has also lodged a formal complaint calling on the NSW Electoral Commission to investigate whether the automated robo-call had breached electoral laws by using unsound and biased questioning.

A recording of the phone survey, obtained by the Herald, does not identify who is conducting the polling or who it was commissioned by.

A spokeswoman for the NSW Electoral Commission said it could not comment on specific compliance matters or confirm whether an investigation is taking place.

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