Newcastle Wests To Trial Cashless Gambling

IMAGE: Lauren.ianson/ CC-BY-SA-4.0

A push to remove cash from gambling has taken a major step forward, with cashless gaming machines to be trialed at a Newcastle clubs.

Wests Newcastle has agreed to partner with Aristocrat Gaming to host a test run of the technology at it’s New Lambton venue, which is one of the largest clubs in country.

Installation expected to get underway by the start of August, with the trial slated to go live in September.

Patrons will be able to pay for all club services, including pokies, using cashless payment methods such as digital wallets.

It’ll be compulsory for customers to supply Proof of Identity equivalent to 100 points and have their digital wallet linked to an Australian bank account.

The trial is set to include responsible gambling measures including money limits, session time limits, information and real-time messaging to customers and marshals.

It’s hoped the technology will crack down on money laundering and problem gambling.

The results will be independently assessed by an academic researcher and Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello was pleased to see the trial green lit, after it faced heavy opposition from within the Clubs industry over compulsory identification.

“I support this digital proposal as it is linked to identity, a bank account and with harm minimisation settings. This will help us combat the twin sins of money laundering and problem gambling, addressing the key concerns of the Bergin Inquiry,” Mr Dominello said.

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