Every poker machine in NSW will be cashless within five years under an ambitious plan to overhaul the gaming industry.
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The contentious package passed a snap meeting of state cabinet on Sunday.
With less than seven weeks until the election, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been under pressure to announce reform to the industry.
The package includes help for small and medium businesses to help them introduce cashless technology with no-interest loans and also one-off grants of $50,000 to pubs and clubs to invest in new income streams such as live music and food.
A team headed by Department of NSW Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter will be appointed to implement a plan to remove cash from pokies between 2024 and 2028.
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Gamblers will have self-imposed spending limits, which can be altered and the implementation team will consider daily limits.
No personal data will be collected or retained by the government or pubs and clubs.
Labor has promised to introduce mandatory trials for 500 of the state's 90,000 poker machines.
The premier is expected to announce details of the reform package on Monday.
Problem gambling has become a major issue ahead of the March 25 state election, with political parties under pressure to introduce reforms after a NSW Crime Commission report found billions of dollars in dirty money was being laundered through machines every year.
Hunter gamblers lost a quarter of a billion dollars on the pokies in just six months last year, a jump of $50 million on pre-COVID levels. Read the full report here.
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Australian Associated Press
