Chris Minns has been elected as the new Premier of New South Wales, following the defeat of the Liberal-National Coalition government in the state election*. In his acceptance speech, the 43-year-old Labor party leader acknowledged the challenges facing the state and declared that the party is “back and ready to govern.”
While the greatest of these challenges, and the Government’s immediate priority, will be the cost-of-living crisis and the energy sector, poker machine reform will also be addressed with the promise of a year-long trial of a cashless system to begin in July.
While the Coalition had planned to make all poker machines cashless by 2028, Labor has committed only to a trial of the technology on 500 machines in metro and regional precincts, which they say is critical for authorities to assess how the technology would impact licensed venues, and the 127k people they employ.
According to Minns, an evidenced-based approach is necessary to ensure that any measures introduced would work and not have unintended consequences. An independent panel consisting of law enforcement, health professionals, and gambling experts will oversee the trial, which will be funded by the $100 million fine paid by Star Casino last year.
In addition to the trial, Labor’s policy includes a stop on misleading signage, a ban on political parties accepting donations from the clubs’ sector, and plans to introduce third party exclusion for problem gamblers. This would potentially mean that family members or the police could have someone prevented from entering a gaming venue.
ClubsNSW was contacted regarding the result, but has declined to comment at this stage.
*Voting continues, and it is not yet clear if Labor will win the 47 seats required to form a majority government.
