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A statewide exclusion register and mandatory facial recognition technology are among measures announced by the NSW Government, under new rules governing the way gambling is promoted and marketed.

The ‘NSW Gaming Reform’ will mandate facial recognition at the entry to gaming rooms. There will also be a third-party exclusion scheme for hotels and clubs and a higher forfeiture rate of one-in-two, up from one-in-three. This means that for every two poker machine entitlements traded, one machine has to be removed from circulation. There are currently about 87,000 poker machines in NSW and the change is designed to accelerate the rate of reduction.

Existing exemptions for entitlements to be transferred without forfeiture will be tightened and venues will be given the option of cancelling their entitlements voluntarily.

VIP programs related to gaming will also be banned. A new, NSW Statewide Exclusion Register will allow people to exclude themselves from gambling at every hotel and club that has gaming machines. According to the NSW Government, this will replace the current, fragmented system, where enforcement is largely left to individual venues and staff. The new Register will require facial recognition technology, so exclusion will apply from venue to venue.

The Register, along with mandated facial recognition, will be introduced in 2028 and the Government says these measures will “support NSW Police efforts to prevent gaming machines being used for money laundering and other criminal activity”.

Gambling advertising will also be banned on NSW Government and council-owned assets.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris says the reforms are wide-ranging. “These are common sense reforms that have been developed alongside industry, harm-minimisation groups, stakeholders and privacy experts to address gambling harm while supporting the industry and protecting the livelihoods of the many people it employs.”

Wesley Mission CEO Rev Stu Cameron welcomed aspects of the announcement, but said voluntary measures will not provide the protections needed by people experiencing gambling harm. “Voluntary account-based gambling leaves the door wide open for people experiencing serious harm to continue gambling without the safeguards we know can and will make a difference.”

Rev Cameron also said there should be a mandatory poker machine shutdown from midnight to 10am. “There is no compelling case for poker machines to be operating at two, three or four in the morning.”