At a time when gambling is becoming quite a controversial issue in the New South Wales (NSW) upcoming election, the local gambling industry has released a code of conduct seeking to suspend suspected criminals from accessing its services in the state.
For the time being, the organisation representing the regulated clubs and pubs offering poker machines in the state – ClubsNSW – is opposing the move for the implementation of so-called mandatory cashless gaming cards, saying that the evidence presented so far does not prove that the proposed measure will directly address gambling addiction and gambling-related harm in New South Wales.
Earlier today, a new gaming code of practice, which is set to take effect as of July 2023, was released. Under the provisions of the code, pokie players in the state will be subject to welfare checks every three hours at the very least. In addition, new measures that would see gambling addicts banned from venues are also set to be implemented.
Under the provisions of the aforementioned gaming code, staff members of New South Wales clubs and pubs would have to pass certain training aimed at identifying key indicators of problem gambling behaviour, while a responsible gambling officer is appointed at every club across the state. ClubNSW revealed that players who show any level of distress or financial issues will be forced to take a break from gambling for no less than 24 hours.
ClubsNSW Says New Code of Conduct Is More Effective Than Premier Perrottet’s Cashless Gaming Card
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, problem gambling has turned into a much-discussed topic at a time when the state of NSW is preparing for the March 2023 election. According to the latest reports, local gamblers lose a little less than AU$1 million every hour on pokies available across New South Wales.
At the same time, the discussions regarding NSW gambling services have put local political parties under increased pressure to introduce the proposed cashless gaming measure for pokies available in clubs and pubs, with a report issued by the NSW Crime Commission in 2022 finding that billions of Australian dollars in dirty cash had been laundered through controversial pokies on an annual basis.
That is why Premier Dominic Perrottet has made a promise to introduce a special mandatory cashless gaming card across the state, with further details set to be released. As Casino Guardian previously reported, the NSW Labour Party said that it prefers further evidence about the potential effect of the measure and promised to introduce a trial of cashless gaming rules on only 500 of the 90,000 electronic gaming machines available in the state should it win the upcoming March election. The Labor Party also pledged to cut the number of pokies in New South Wales.
The newly-announced code of conduct of ClubsNSW will see patrons borrowing money from other players, seeking credit for gambling, or admitting to stealing cash to gamble would be automatically suspended from entering gaming rooms in the state. Lifetime bans for suspected money-launderers are included in the code.
Gambling addicts will also be offered professional counselling to help them deal with their problem gambling behaviour. In addition, family members of problem gamblers will be able to request an exclusion for their loved ones under the provisions of the new code of conduct, with an expert gambling counsellor set to determine whether such a measure is necessary and appropriate.
Josh Landis, the chief executive officer of ClubsNSW, explained that the code offered a cost-effective and targeted approach to a gambling reform, unlike the proposed mandatory cashless card. He further noted that the new code of conduct was the most effective way to protect gambling addicts from gambling-related harm while at the same time keeping criminal activity out of local clubs and pubs that had historically been the safest place to gamble.
- Author
Daniel Williams
