ACT pushes cashless gaming and cuts poker machines to curb gambling harm

The ACT Labor government is introducing what it calls the nation’s largest gambling-harm reform, mandating account-based cashless gaming across all venues and prohibiting EFTPOS and ATM withdrawals for poker machines. Players must hold a venue-specific account, set a personal loss limit, and take a compulsory 15-minute break after each hour of continuous play. Weekly operating hours for machines will be reduced by 15 hours starting July 1, 2027, and a legislative schedule will cut the total number of pokies to 1,000 by 2045, removing 500 machines every four years.

The existing paper-based self-exclusion scheme will be replaced by a centralized online system. A transition committee will be formed to assist clubs in diversifying income, including possible redevelopment of land for housing or aged-care facilities. The reforms will be presented to the Legislative Assembly, with the EFTPOS ban taking effect in October.