NSW Premier Chris Minns committed to a trial on 500 machines in clubs and pubs originally planned to begin this week. The trial is to be designed and supervised by an independent panel comprised of representatives from law enforcement and industry, health and gambling experts and academics, and report 12 months later.
It is reported that negotiations with industry, harm minimisation advocates and MPs over who should be appointed to the panel have taken longer than anticipated. The government had aimed to appoint the panel by this week, so it can begin designing the trial in July.
Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris said the government was determined to deliver on its commitment to reduce gambling harm and money laundering and had already enacted a ban on the external signage of gaming rooms that would come into effect in September.
Pubs and clubs will have to remove all external gambling signage promoting VIP Lounges or players’ rooms within three months or face hefty fines.
“We are in the final stages of putting the independent panel and a robust trial together, and we will have more to say about these changes over the next couple of weeks,” Minister Harris said.
ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotels Association have described mandatory cashless gambling as an overkill.
The panel will be tasked with designing a trial to assess the impact of cashless gambling. The trial will consider different cashless technologies, what infrastructure investments are required, the impact on employment and industry, and how effectively the technology addresses addictive gambling behaviour.
Venues must hold a gaming machine entitlement for each poker machine they operate. The government has committed to reducing the state cap on gaming machine entitlements to be in line with the actual number owned by clubs and pubs. But there are more entitlements than there are machines because some venues stockpile them for future needs.
ClubsNSW, which represents the registered clubs operating 64,000 pokies statewide, has previously raised concern about the "significant costs and technical challenges" of turning pokies cashless.
"We're particularly concerned about the implications for small, regional clubs and the impact this will have on jobs across the industry," ClubsNSW spokesperson said back in March during the election.
ClubsNSW wants "sensible" reform for the industry that is informed by evidence and ensures long-term industry viability for our communities, staff and club members.
Local licenced clubs along the Murray River have expressed their concerns back in March that some proposed reforms could immediately wipe 30% off their current revenues, forcing some to be unviable and possibly close and others struggling to continue spending money on their facilities, making significant community donations alongside certain job losses.
Corowa RSL Club CEO Peter Norris said the proposed reforms “are of significant concern for our industry and should be for our small community”.
“Should the reforms be passed, our ability to continue to support our community at the same level we do now would be impossible,” Mr Norris said.
“The Flood Relief Grants, concerts and other contributions simply wouldn’t happen as our profitability would be hit significantly. Notwithstanding that, our ability to reinvest back into our business and the wider community would also be heavily impacted.
“I would also have serious concerns for the recreational facilities both at our venue and the smaller clubs around us as these are heavily subsidised from our ability to generate revenue from our traditional business model.”
Mulwala Water Ski Club CEO Peter Duncan said the three local clubs had become an integral part of the Yarrawonga Mulwala community for decades contributing millions of dollars back into the local economy in many different ways.
“If major reforms come in it will immediately cost local jobs and a great deal of community support programs including schools, hospitals, emergency services, sporting clubs and the like,” Mr Duncan said.
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