Chris Minns, leader of the Labour Party in New South Wales (NSW), has resisted a recent push for the introduction of a cashless gambling card in the Australian state, although a number of cross-bench Members of Parliament have been calling for the Government to back the proposal.
As Casino Guardian reported earlier, the NSW Crime Commission published a long-awaited report regarding the introduction of the aforementioned cashless gambling card, which found that local club and pub visitors spent dirty money worth billions of dollars every year. As a result, the major parties in the state have been urged to implement the proposed measure that, on the other hand, has faced opposition from the NSW’s gambling lobby.
According to the report, large sums of dirty money originating as proceeds of criminal activity are being spent by visitors of clubs and pubs across the NSW, which basically allowed the penetration of crime in local communities.
At the time when the proposal for the implementation of the cashless gambling card was made, Premier Dominic Perrottet agreed to take the matter under consideration. Both he and the leader of the NSW Labour Party have noted that they would hold closer consultations with the gambling industry about the proposal. Previously, ClubsNSW, the organisation representing the local pubs and clubs, has claimed that the implementation of the cashless gambling card technology would cost not only about AU$1.8 billion to roll out, but also thousands of jobs in the industry. So far, however, the organisation did not offer any evidence to back those claims.
Cashless Gambling Card Could Divest Gambling-Related Harm and Minimise Money Laundering in NSW
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, it was Patricia Bergin SC who recommended the implementation of the cashless gambling card, after the completion of her investigation into Crown Resorts. Ms Bergin suggested the measure as a tool aimed at divesting gambling-related harm for problem gamblers and a way to fight money laundering and crime penetration in the sector. The proposal has been supported by New South Wales anti-gambling groups and was supported by Victor Dominello, the former gambling minister, before it was removed from the portfolio following ClubsNSW’s protests against the measure.
Alex Greenwich, the independent Member of Parliament for Sydney, has been trying to force the major political parties in the state of New South Wales to back the proposal by introducing a few amendments to the bill seeking to make the use of facial recognition technology in local clubs and pubs official.
Eventually, Chris Minns turned down the proposed amendments. He noted that his party remains open-minded about the suggested reforms but, given the complexity of the matter, state lawmakers needed to make sure and check all aspects of the proposal before giving a blanket support for the motion. He further shared that it was difficult for the opposition in NSW to navigate through the difference of opinion or difference of fact.
According to the aforementioned report of the Crime Commission, the implementation of the proposed cashless gambling card would help the Government combat a financial deficit in the state. Previously, the group that lobbies in favour of NSW clubs and pubs had claimed that the implementation of facial recognition technology would be ineffective. However, it is now used as gambling-related harm minimisation measure and anti-money laundering tool.
- Author
Daniel Williams
