The commission’s main recommendation was a cashless gaming card,which the then Coalition government committed to implement in all 90,000 machines across the state by 2028.
However,Labor resisted and instead agreed to a trial of 500 machines to ensure a cashless card would not cause job losses across the hospitality industry.
In the lead-up to the election,key independent MPs Alex Greenwich,Greg Piper,Joe McGirr and Helen Dalton – who was targeted for her support of a cashless card by the powerful lobby group ClubsNSW – said they would pursue a cashless gaming card as a priority.
One of Labor’s first legislative moves after its election win was to ban political donations from registered clubs,given the significant profits that clubs make are largely a result of poker machine revenue.
The government is also finalising the make-up of its advisory panel,which will oversee the 500-machine trial.
However,new research from Wesley Mission revealed there was still “widespread and ongoing community concern” about the need for more extensive poker machine reform in NSW.