NSW Lawmakers Consider Slashing the State’s Poker Machine Count in Half

The government of New South Wales is rumored to be considering a proposal to slash the number of poker machines in half. This comes amid continued gambling harm-related concerns in the Australian state.

NSW Eyes a Major Reduction in Poker Machines

According to the announcement, discussing the proposal will be the priority of the Labor Party at the upcoming state conference. The measure has received strong support from both the Labor Party and Unions NSW, suggesting strong backing.

Under the measure, the number of poker machines in New South Wales, currently approximately 90,000, will be cut to roughly 45,000. This would be a gradual change that would happen over the next 10 years, per the proposal.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey said that it is now clear that the number of poker machines should be reduced. He said that venues with more than 20 machines are basically casinos and should therefore be regulated as such.

For context, poker machines are available at a variety of venues, including bars and clubs.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne added that there has been strong public and Labor support for the reduction of poker machines. He emphasized that the matter has become an “ethical issue of such importance” that it can no longer be left to the state parliamentary party to decide.

Cashless Gaming Did Not Go Through, But Other Safer Gaming Measures Have Been Introduced

Previously, NSW lawmakers stopped short of introducing cashless gaming technology across venues with poker machines. Supporters argued that going cashless would help to protect vulnerable players from harm. However, bars and clubs in the state strongly opposed this measure.

Still, there have been some efforts to reduce harmful gaming, with some of it including a six-hour window from 4 am to 10 am in which pubs and clubs cannot offer gambling, reducing the deposit limit from AUD 5,000 to AUD 500, forced venues to remove all gambling signage that can be seen from outside, and required places with over 20 gaming machines to onboard dedicated responsible gambling officers.

Australia also banned clubs with electronic machines from making political donations.

In any case, discussions about reducing the number of machines will continue at July’s state conference when lawmakers will also discuss support measures for potentially impacted venues.