Tasmania set to roll out new gambling harm minimisation measures
The Tasmanian government has announced a revised package of gambling harm minimisation measures for electronic gaming machines in hotels and clubs, replacing its previously proposed mandatory cashless gaming card regime.
The new framework introduces longer mandatory closures for gaming areas, with enforced shutdowns increasing from four hours to seven hours every 24-hour period. A Ticket In Ticket Out system will also be rolled out, allowing players to load a maximum of $200 per ticket, while individual machines will be limited to $100 at any one time. The tickets will not require player registration and will not impose daily loss caps.
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Tasmanian Treasurer Eric Abetz said the government was seeking to protect vulnerable players while avoiding excessive regulation.
“As a community, we must seek to protect the most vulnerable among us,” he said.
“We also must accept that people have a right to their own agency.
“As a Government, our focus is to reduce red tape and regulation, not personal freedoms.”
The measures follow disclosures that Tasmanians lost $200 million on poker machines in the last financial year.
Immediate self-exclusion will be enabled through new technology, including QR codes at venues, while facial recognition will become mandatory to enforce exclusions. ATMs will be permitted on-site only if fitted with facial recognition and daily withdrawal limits.
The reforms come after Tasmania abandoned its planned cashless gaming card in late 2024, amid industry opposition.
“These reforms deliver on our commitment to increase harm minimisation measures while we continue to monitor progress interstate of the pre-commitment gaming card,” Abetz said.
Despite Australians love of slot machines and a thriving illegal industry, Tasmania aligns with the rest of the country, and does not have any legal online slots or gambling sites.
