The New South Wales Labor leader, Chris Minns, has refused to back a push to introduce a cashless gambling card in the state, despite pressure from cross-bench MPs trying to force the Coalition government’s hand on the proposal.
After the NSW Crime Commission released a long-awaited report this week calling for the card’s introduction and finding billions of dollars in “dirty” money is being gambled in pubs and clubs every year, both major parties are under pressure over a measure fiercely opposed by the state’s gaming lobby.
The report found “large sums” of the proceeds of crime are gambled by criminals in pubs and clubs across NSW, “rewarding and perpetuating crime in the community”.
The premier, Dominic Perrottet, has agreed to consider the proposal.
But he and Minns have said they will consult closely with the industry about the gaming card. ClubsNSW has previously claimed the technology would cost thousands of jobs and $1.8bn to roll out, though has offered no evidence for that claim.
The independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, has sought to force the hands of major parties by introducing amendments to a bill to formalise the use of facial recognition technology in clubs and pubs.
On Friday, Minns refused to back Greenwich’s amendments.
“The Crime Commission report called for far-reaching reforms, it wasn’t a tinkering around the edges,” he said.
“Obviously there’s implications as a result of those reforms. But we’re open-minded about it.
“But given the complexity of it, we need to make sure and look at what people are putting on the table before I give a blanket support for a proposal that I haven’t seen.”
Minns pointed to the lobby’s claim that the proposal would be cost-prohibitive, and said there was “obviously a disagreement” between ClubsNSW and the commission.
“It’s difficult for the New South Wales opposition to navigate through that difference of opinion or that difference of fact.”
The cashless gambling card was recommended by Patricia Bergin, after her investigation into Crown casino, as a harm-minimisation tool for problem gamblers and as a way to combat criminal money laundering in the sector.
It is supported by anti-gambling groups, and was backed by former gaming minister, Victor Dominello, before he was removed from the portfolio after ClubsNSW lobbied against the proposal.
But this week’s crime commission report into money laundering in clubs and pubs said the card would help combat “a $95bn-a-year information black hole”.
The clubs lobby had previously claimed that facial recognition technology was also cost-prohibitive and ineffective, but now champions its use as a harm-reduction measure and anti-money laundering tool.
But Greenwich was critical of both major parties for “pandering” to the club’s lobby.
“This is not a new proposal, it’s backed by NSW Crime Commission, and I think the electorate are looking for Labor to have some bold and different policies and not just sit on the fence,” he said.
“It’s concerning that [both parties] are consulting with the bodies who have financial benefit from not taking action, who cause gambling harm and who want to turn a blind eye to the money laundering happening in clubs and pubs.
“It’s the equivalent of forming your drink-driving policies by consulting with the alcohol industry.”
It comes as the government ruled out allowing clubs to use facial recognition technology to enforce bans on patrons kicked out of clubs for being too drunk or disorderly.
This week the Guardian reported that ClubsNSW was refusing to rule out expanding the use of the controversial technology, after initially saying last week that it would only be used to enforce self-exclusions made by problem gamblers.
The Department of Liquor and Gaming said it was still drafting guidelines on the technology’s use, but it would only be used to track people “excluded from gambling, either by themselves or family and friends, or people convicted or suspected of serious crimes”.
“This would not include one-off offences such as being intoxicated or quarrelsome on club premises,” a spokesperson said.
