Australians Reluctant to Roll in Cashless Gaming Trial

Australians are said to be losing calamitous amounts on poker machines, and something clearly should be done. No one can quite put their finger on what that something looks like, but a barrage of responsible gambling measures has been launched.

Cashless Gambling Trial Fumbled in Australia

Some, such as a national self-exclusion program and a ban on credit cards have been hailed as milestones, but others, such as a fiercely debated partial ban on gambling TV ads and a cashless gaming trial have been underwhelming.

Based on new information from New South Wales, a cashless gaming trial has shown that there is a rather tepid reception among the public to enrol in cashless options. A total of just 200 people signed up for the trial and only 32 people were said to be actively participating.

The small numbers have been used as an immediate line of attack from politicians who criticized the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the poorly executed project and its planning.

Labor was seeking to replace the plans for mandatory cashless poker machines by 2028 pitched by the former government. The main issues in the trial, though, do not necessarily have to do with people being reluctant.

Rather, there have been technical issues with the measure as well, such as clunky and not streamlined technology for one. Feedback has called certain instances of engaging with cashless solutions “unusable.”

The opposition has piled in on the results, arguing that the Labor government had completely fumbled the initiative and let the cashless trial take place for nought. Sterner words were used to describe what many have seen as an insult to the families suffering from problem gambling.

Labor Government Hemmed In on All Sides

The cashless gambling trial is not the only issue that the government is facing. Talks to introduce a national gambling regulator that can oversee operations across the entire country have stalled and may not come to fruition.

In the meantime, Labor has been doubly attacked for its reluctance to pass a blanket ban on TV advertising. The Australian Medical Association has said that even a partial ban would be no ban at all.

A recent report by Sky News that the government had caved in proved to be wrong, with Prime Minister Albanese denying the rumors that his government would act on a TV gambling advertising ban.

However, companies continue to double down on Australia with BlueBet and PointsBet both leaving the US to focus on their operations in the country instead.