As part of its efforts to ramp up player protection and anti-money laundering (AML) initiatives, the New South Wales (NSW) government has expanded a trial of cashless gaming technology throughout the state.
The trial will begin in the first quarter of 2024, and will include some 4,500 machines in 28 venues across a total of 24 metropolitan and regional areas. A previous trial, which was cut short due to alleged cyberattacks, featured just 250 machines at the Club York and Wests Newcastle venues.
According to the government, a total of five cashless technology providers have been granted preliminary approval to take part in the new trial. Qualifications for consideration include various privacy and AML protections, presumably because of how the last trial ended.
Back in July, the NSW government formed the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform, consisting of industry experts and local officials, to oversee and steer the development of cashless gaming. The panel will be responsible for managing the trial and evaluating the data that comes from it.
Once the trial is complete, the panel will also put together a report outlining the results as well as how the government should go about regulating and implementing the new technology.
“This trial is bigger, broader and delivers nine times more machines than we committed to during the election campaign,” NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said in a statement. “The independent panel has lit the next step in our reform agenda.
“The strong interest in participating in the cashless gaming trial proves just how serious clubs and hotels are about working with the government to reduce gambling harm and money laundering associated with electronic gaming machines.
“The industry is clearly behind us as we undergo these landmark gaming reforms as part of our commitment to addressing money laundering and gambling harm in NSW.”
In addition to the upcoming trial, the NSW government has also implemented a number of other AML and harm minimization initiatives in recent months, including a cash-in limit of just AU$500 for all new poker machines and a statewide reduction on poker machine licenses.
The government also recently banned all external gambling-related signage for venues that feature poker machines, including euphemisms and symbols such as “VIP Room” or pots of gold.
