State leaders open to working together on gambling reform

Two premiers on opposite sides of the political divide have announced they will team-up in an effort to drive desperately needed gambling reform.

Dominic Perrottet said he is open to working with his Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews when it comes to driving gambling reform beyond NSW.

Mr Perrottet has released his highly anticipated gambling reforms, pledging to make every poker machine cashless by the end of 2028 if the Coalition secures a victory at the March election.

He said he welcomed bipartisan co-operation from the Mr Andrews, who is facing pressure to consider cashless gaming reform in Victoria.

“What I’ve experienced as premier has been (that) working in partnerships with other premiers can drive great change across our country,” Mr Perrottet told reporters on Tuesday.

“When NSW and Victoria go well, the entire country goes well. They are the strongest economies in Australia, working together to affect change.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the proposed gambling reforms will curb problem gambling and reduce money laundering through pokie machines. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Andrews said while he “wouldn’t rule out changes” when it came to enacting gambling reform, he refused to tell reporters his position on cashless gaming, despite being asked about it many times.

“Will there never be any future change? I wouldn’t say that. Will there always be those in the community who advocate and call for further and tougher rules? Of course there will be and that’s a perfectly healthy thing,” he said.

“I think some of the NSW experience demonstrates, again, we’re not here to comment on them, but it’s been it’s been well publicised some of the challenges that they had.”

While Mr Andrews said money laundering “is a really significant issue” he also called poker machines a “legitimate form of recreational activity”.

The Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he wouldn’t ‘rule out changes’ to gambling reform. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

In August 2022, Victoria became the first state in Australia to require pokie players to set a maximum limit before they start gambling, with a $1000 per 24-hour limit for people using cash at casinos. The changes came into effect after recommendations from the Royal Commission into Melbourne’s Crown Casino.

Since introducing his reforms, Mr Perrottet’s proposed regulations have been largely welcomed by gambling reform advocates and the NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

Introduced to curb problem gambling and reduce money laundering, players will be able to set their own daily spend limit which cannot be increased for seven days.

Automatic top ups will also be prohibited and funds can only be transferred from debit – and not credit – accounts.

Interest-free loans will also available to help small and medium venues in transitioning to cashless technology, with $40 million put aside for regional pubs and clubs.

The NSW Premier has pledged to make all pokie machines cashless by 2028. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The Premier also committed to a buyback scheme of 2000 machines from pub and clubs over five years, however Mr Perrottet said he’d be open to extending this number.

“We’ll work through the finance on that, but the modelling that I’ve received is that within a five-year period, buying back 2000 pokie machines in the state is something that is attainable,” he said on Tuesday.

NSW Labor has also committed to a 2000 pokie machine buyback, however it has proposed a cashless gaming trial of just 500 machines, with the potential to expand.

Opposition leader Chris Minns also put forward a reduced cash feed-in limit from $5000 to $500.

Both parties have banned outdoor advertising, such as VIP signs, and political donations from clubs with pokie machines.