The New South Wales (NSW) Liberal and Nationals government started deepening their focus on the increasing presence of poker machines across the region in February, considering adopting a completely cashless approach. This approach already received backing from the NSW Police Commissioner in December 2022. It comes alongside the consideration of more stringent restrictions on the machines’ use, including reducing their number.
In addition to this, the government began pondering a potential curtailment of operational hours for these establishments. The objective included plans by relevant parties to repossess 2,000 slot machines from each venue over the subsequent five-year period.
Currently, the jurisdiction’s gambling regulatory authority, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA), has advanced to a more enforced control strategy on all available slot machines post-midnight. This proposal is based on fresh research that has highlighted a significant correlation between late-night slot gaming and the occurrence of problem gambling.
Influence of EGMs’ Late-night Operation on Player Behaviors
The study titled Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) Late Night Play on EGM Player Behaviors was sponsored by the NSW Government’s Responsible Gambling Fund and supported by Liquor & Gaming NSW. The research was conducted through Roy Morgan Research.
This research’s primary goal was to determine if restricting the closing times of poker machine establishments could provide an effective solution to decrease harm resulting from excessive EGM gambling, particularly affecting players found to be at risk of developing problem gambling issues.
The study’s findings revealed that harm from gambling has significantly increased among players who engage in late-night slot operations.
The research also discovered that the majority of late-night players suffer from gambling-related problems. Specifically, nearly two-thirds of players visiting poker machine locations between 2 am and 8 am have been identified as facing significant negative repercussions linked to problem gambling.
ILGA’s Chairperson, Caroline Lamb, expressed extended concerns about the potential negative impact of late-night gambling on players, their families, and local communities.
Lamb further added that the study’s findings will be leveraged to fulfill their “statutory duty to minimize gaming-related harm”.
ILGA Amplifies Its Player Protection Measures
The ILGA has already implemented a sequence of additional measures aimed to decrease and prevent gambling harm, while also managing issues related to applications that enhance the availability of poker machines post-midnight.
Among these measures, Lamb cited Guideline 16, aimed at supporting gaming venues to cut down on gambling harm after 12 am and promote responsible gambling practices.
Under Guideline 16, all gaming-related apps must come with a dedicated Gaming Plan of Management, elaborating actions to support license holders in decreasing gambling-related damages. The regulator has also levied several additional licensing conditions on all gaming apps to address the same risks.
