NSW Labor Plans Tougher Pokies Reforms Ahead of Election

New South Wales is set for a tougher approach to poker machines, with the state government preparing measures that would include a moratorium on new machines, higher taxes on profitable clubs, and mandatory facial recognition in gaming rooms. The reforms are expected to form part of the NSW Labor Party’s policy platform ahead of the next state election.

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Conference Push For Action

The poker machine issue was one of the main discussion points at NSW Labor’s annual conference on Sunday, where delegates passed a motion calling for decisive action on reform. According to The Guardian’s Australian edition, the party is now set to take the issue into the election campaign as pressure grows within its own ranks.

NSW is home to almost 88,000 authorised poker machines, which account for around half of the national total. Most of them are located in pubs and clubs, while The Star Sydney casino has 1,500 machines. Crown Sydney is not allowed to have poker machines because of a long-standing exclusivity agreement with the government.

The scale of the state’s poker machine base has kept the issue at the centre of debate, particularly as Labor considers how far it is prepared to move on restrictions. The conference motion suggests the party wants to present a clearer stance before voters go to the polls.

Proposed Machine Limits

Under the reported plan, the Labor government would introduce a moratorium on licences for new machines. It would also remove 50% of machines that are moved between venues from operation, while clubs that make more than AU$20 million in profits from their machines would face higher taxes.

The policy would also require a significant reduction in the number of machines in operation over the next decade. That wording indicates the government is not only looking at how many machines can be added, but also at reducing the overall number already in use.

The proposed changes would affect a sector that is deeply embedded in NSW pubs and clubs. With such a large share of the national total concentrated in the state, even modest changes could have wide implications for venues that rely on machine revenue.

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Facial Recognition Requirement

Another part of the reported reform package would require facial recognition technology in every gaming room across the state. The technology would be used to support the statewide exclusion register, which is intended to help identify and manage excluded players.

That move would add a new layer to NSW’s gambling controls and bring technology into the centre of venue-level enforcement. It also signals that the government is looking beyond limits on machine numbers and taxes, and toward tighter monitoring inside gaming rooms.

The Guardian’s report suggests the requirement would be part of a broader reform agenda rather than a standalone measure. Together with the machine moratorium and tax changes, it would mark a significant shift in the state’s approach to poker machines.

Political Pressure Builds

According to Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne, politics in New South Wales has failed to address gambling machines, which are seen as an obvious problem, because no one is prepared to tackle the issue. As Byrne pointed out, the private interests of the poker machines lobby have always outweighed public interests.

The comments reflected the political pressure building around the issue inside Labor, as well as the wider debate over gambling harm in the state. The proposed reforms now appear likely to become a formal part of the party’s election platform.

The NSW plan also follows fresh federal action on gambling advertising, with the Labor government last week introducing new rules to parliament. Those changes would limit TV gambling ads to no more than 3 per hour between 6 am and 8:30 pm and impose a complete ban during live sport broadcasts within those hours.

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Source: Inside Asian Gaming