NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns has thrown his support behind more trials of cashless gaming cards, but says he's not ready to fully commit to the scheme which could have unintended consequences for clubs.
Gambling reform has become a hot topic in NSW after the state's crime commission recommended mandatory cashless gaming cards to combat the use of poker machines for money laundering.
NSW is home to over half of Australia's 200,000 pokies and the crime commission found pubs and clubs across the state were being use to funnel billions in "dirty cash".
It said cashless gaming cards would help exclude such money, as people would unlikely participate in a scheme that allows cash flows to be identified if they were using money from illicit activities.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has backed the recommendation but Labor is not matching that support.
Social and religious groups have attacked Labor for being compromised and blame donations from clubs to political parties as part of the problem.
In May, an ABC analysis showed clubs donated almost half a million dollars to NSW Labor, and $180,000 to the Liberals, over the past 10 years.
"I presume it's why it's so hard to get an answer from Mr Minns," Anglican Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant said.
"The money that flows from clubs and pubs lobbied to both major political parties is a factor," Wesley Mission CEO and Reverend Stu Cameron.
But today, Mr Minns said his party was not being influenced by donations and supported an expanded trial of cashless cards, which are currently only being tested on 50 opt-in gamblers at one Newcastle club.
He said he could not offer bipartisan support for the plan, as he was worried about the unintended consequences on the mammoth clubs and pubs industry in NSW.
"If there's a proposal on the table in particular in relation to an expanded trial for cashless cards in NSW for pubs and clubs in the city and country … we would be supportive of that," he told ABC Radio Sydney.
"[But] I can't give a blank check or bipartisan support for a proposal that I haven't seen before, particularly when you consider there are varying views in relation to whether it would work or not."
Mr Minns said there was no information about when the scheme would roll out, who would pay for it and what would it mean for the clubs industry which employs about 120,000 people.
He said rolling out the program without proper consultation could cause a situation similar to the lockout laws which killed off large parts of Sydney's nightlife.
"We have to take into consideration that [clubs] employ 120,000 people and I don't know what the economic impact would be on them if people who are not associated with organised crime or have a gambling problem [are not using the pokies]."
He said there were concerns raised by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation that having people use cards instead of cash could actually promote irresponsible gambling.
"As soon as you disassociate the pain of handing over cash to a pokie machine … there's a question as to whether you will lose track of how much you're putting in," he said.
Mr Perrottet Perrottet said gaming venues were some of the few places left in society that used cash and he wanted to work with the industry to prepare them for technological change.
"This is an issue that the crime commission has highlighted … money laundering occurring in venues across our state, that has to end," he said.
He said bipartisan support for reform was important and he hoped Labor could find "common ground" with the Coalition.
