Cashless poker machines by 2029

Poker machines will be cashless by 2029 in NSW after Premier Dominic Perrottet secured cabinet support for his long-awaited pokies reform package.

Nationals ministers have also backed the plan after promises of a regional assistance package for pubs and clubs that allays fears of lost revenue streams for local venues. Further to this, a smaller fund could be put in place for one-pub towns.

NSW will go to the polls in March, however under a re-elected Coalition government the reforms will go ahead.

The plan would see cashless poker machines rolled out over several years as the Premier looks to crack down on money laundering and help problem gamblers.

If re-elected, the government would also implement a pokies buyback policy which was first mooted in 2020, after Perrottet asked Treasury officials for advice on the “merits” and “challenges” of buying back poker machines from clubs.

The idea was to give shuttered venues financial support during Covid lockdowns.

It was also felt a buyback would be a “significant opportunity to reduce (poker machine) numbers and thereby the health, social and financial harms of problem gambling”.

The government will work closely with the new ClubsNSW CEO. Former Restaurant and Catering Association CEO Wes Lambert has been spoken about to replace sacked CEO Josh Landis.

Lambert is said to have been integral in reopening the hospitality sector during the Covid lockdowns and has wide government experience. Lambert is in the mix with Australian Hotels Association NSW CEO John Whelan and Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolau.

Jonathan Jackson - 6/2/23