True believers wanted serious gambling reform. We got the hokey pokies
NSW's gambling reforms are a victory for political timidity, disappointing advocates who demanded serious action on poker machines.Summary
This opinion piece by Sydney Morning Herald state political editor Michael McGowan criticises the gambling reforms announced by NSW Racing Minister David Harris, describing them as a victory for political timidity. The author contrasts the NSW government's reluctance to pursue serious poker machine reform with the federal Albanese government's tepid approach and the late Labor MP Peta Murphy's push for a total ban on gambling advertising. He highlights that Premier Chris Minns' refusal to offer bipartisan support to former premier Dominic Perrottet's cashless gaming proposal effectively killed it as an anti-money-laundering and harm-minimisation measure.
While the package includes some positive elements, such as a statewide self-exclusion register and a ban on VIP programs—which had allowed wealthy patrons to access exclusive lounges after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars—the reality is that clubs largely got what they wanted. The decision to roll out mandatory facial recognition technology, promoted by the club lobby as an alternative to cashless gaming, represents a major win for the industry. The author questions how facial recognition will work in practice and whether it will truly protect problem gamblers.
McGowan finds Harris's claim that the number of poker machines "matters less" unconvincing, pointing out the logical contradiction of the government simultaneously promising to increase the rate of entitlement forfeiture. The piece concludes that both major parties must eventually confront the idea that voters want politicians with the backbone to address tangible societal problems rather than cowering before the clubs lobby.
(Source：Google News)