Perrottet standing firm on pokies reforms ahead of NSW election

As the New South Wales elections loom, Premier Dominic Perrottet is digging his heels in concerning his stance on pokies reform – despite opposition from inside and outside his camp.

NSW is Australia’s gambling capital, boasting more pokies machines than the rest of the states and territories combined. The gambling industry in NSW has largely been untouchable due to the influence and reach of ClubsNSW, the body representing the interests of pubs and clubs across the state.

For several decades, ClubsNSW has enjoyed strong support from the government. Perrottet recounted to The Guardian that an MP once told him there were “four levels of government in their electorate – the federal government, the state government, the local government and the clubs”.

However, the premier decided to effect drastic changes in the industry after the NSW Crime Commission published a report which showed how the pokies have been used by criminals to launder money. Chief among the proposed reforms is the introduction of cashless gaming cards – a move that has brought on the ire of ClubsNSW and the Labor Party.

Opponents of Perrottet’s plans have gone so far as to dub them a ploy to gain the public’s approval ahead of the March 25 elections. However, the Coalition leader noted that whether or not the Liberals and Nationals retain power, reform is essential because having a state rife with gambling addicts “is not normal”.

READ: NSW Labor reveals gambling reform plans ahead of election

Speaking on how he got members of the Coalition party to support his plans, Perrottet described it as one of the defining moments of his political career.

“If I hadn’t literally put my career on the line on this issue I would never … never have achieved the change,” he said.

“There were moments where I believed I couldn’t do it. I had moments of weakness, in the sense where I felt I couldn’t achieve … what I needed to. I thought I was starting so far behind, and I needed everyone [onboard].”

However, he finally won over both the Liberals and Nationals by reassuring them the clubs have been provided for in the plans. Starting from 2024, the plan is to spend $344 million to transition the state to cashless gaming by the end of 2028.

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