The New South Wales government has unveiled its NSW Gaming Reform package as of Tuesday, emphasizing a commitment to player protection rooted in evidence. Premier Chris Minns stated that this initiative fulfills a crucial election promise, aimed at enhancing safeguards against gambling-related harm while imposing stricter marketing regulations.
This reform package draws on recommendations from its Independent Panel for Gaming Reform, along with broader consultations with stakeholders and the community. The findings of the NSW Gambling Survey 2024 reveal that 3.1% of adults in the state engage in moderate-risk gambling, while 0.9% face high-risk gambling situations.
David Harris, the minister for gaming and racing in New South Wales, presented the package as a comprehensive reform that merges stricter regulations, advanced technology, and heightened protections to mitigate gambling harm while supporting the industry. To back this initiative, the government has pledged AU$95.2 million (US$68.1 million) over the next four years.
“These practical reforms have been developed with input from industry professionals, harm minimization advocates, stakeholders, and privacy experts to tackle gambling harm while safeguarding the industry and the jobs it supports,” Harris stated. He emphasized the government’s intent to continuously explore and implement emerging technologies to enhance safety measures in the gambling sector.
The specific timeline for enacting the legislation linked to the NSW Gaming Reform package remains unspecified.
Key components of the reforms include the establishment of a statewide exclusion register, which will be reinforced by mandatory facial recognition technology at all gaming room entrances. Currently, a voluntary self-exclusion program exists only in select hotels and clubs, and enforcement is primarily the responsibility of those venues.
A new third-party exclusion scheme will allow friends and family to initiate exclusions for individuals at risk of excessive gambling, supplementing the efforts of venues and law enforcement.
The government plans to reduce the number of poker machines from the existing count of 87,000 across 2,100 clubs and hotels. This goal will be pursued by increasing the forfeiture rate for trading gaming machine entitlements from one in three to one in two. A "sinking cap" will also be put in place, reducing the cap as gaming machine entitlements are phased out.
Looking ahead, the government is advocating for account-based play, which would enhance monitoring of players. Recognizing that much of the gaming machine infrastructure is outdated, plans are underway to upgrade the Central Monitoring System within the next two years to facilitate this transition.
Moreover, the NSW Gaming Reform Package seeks to strengthen protections against detrimental advertising practices. It will prohibit VIP programs related to gaming and ban all gambling advertisements on New South Wales government and council-owned properties. Betting service providers will only be allowed to market directly to individuals after obtaining explicit consent via calls, emails, or texts.
New transparency measures will apply to gambling promotions through affiliates and influencers, including limits on commissions for higher-risk gambling offerings. Beyond these advertising restrictions, the government is also committed to formulating a strategy to mitigate harms from online gambling while increasing enforcement against illegal operators, which will involve the introduction of new offenses and harsher penalties.
