The Australian Capital Territory Government has proposed a new package of gambling reforms. The measures would reduce poker machine authorisations to no more than 1,000 by 2045 and introduce mandatory account-based cashless gaming.
The proposals would also ban EFTPOS and ATM cash withdrawals at venues with poker machines and extend mandatory machine shutdown periods by 15 hours each week. The operating-hours change is scheduled to take effect from 1 July 2027, while the Government plans to introduce the EFTPOS withdrawal restriction in October.
Players would need a venue account and accompanying card under the cashless system. Accounts would include maximum loss limits, while venues would be required to enforce a 15-minute break after each hour of continuous poker machine play.
The Government has opted against an ACT-wide central monitoring system connecting venues, citing the cost and declining number of machines.
The reforms extend a reduction programme already underway in the territory. Poker machine authorisations fell from 4,956 in 2018 to 3,494 by May 2025, a decline of almost 30%, after 296 authorisations were surrendered through a voluntary programme. Two participating venues surrendered all their machines.
The latest reduction would be implemented through mandated cuts of 500 machines every four years. It comes alongside plans to overhaul the existing self-exclusion system through central management and a simplified online application process.
Gambling harm remains a focus of ACT policy despite declining participation. The 2024 ACT Gambling Survey, conducted with more than 10,000 adults, found 15.8% experienced at least one form of gambling-related harm.
Poker machines were the gambling product most commonly associated with harm, while males under 40 accounted for 51.5% of those experiencing the highest levels of harm.
The Government is also working on the financial transition facing community clubs as machine numbers fall. An independent clubs inquiry was tasked with developing alternative income streams and workforce transition strategies, while the latest package includes support for clubs to make greater use of land and other assets.
Gaming-machine regulation has also tightened in New Zealand. The Department of Internal Affairs secured commitments for an additional NZ$11.5m (US$6.7m) in community grants following a Class 4 gambling compliance investigation, alongside a six-day licence suspension for One Foundation.
The ACT Government exceeded its previous target of reducing poker machine authorisations below 3,500 by July 2025, reaching 3,494 two months ahead of the deadline
