New South Wales Inaugurates Independent Gaming Review Panel

The government for New South Wales has inaugurated an independent commission and tasked it with investigating ways for the Australian state to reduce gambling harms alongside criminal activities such as money laundering being done with online sports betting sites.

The 16-member panel led by the past commissioner for the New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, Michael Foggo, has been asked to formulate a variety of reform roadmap recommendations by November of 2024 and simultaneously oversee the state’s upcoming year-long trial of cashless gaming.

Detailed Discussion

The group moreover features former Australian Senator Ursula Stephens together with past New South Wales Legislative Council member Niall Blair and is to consult with a wide range of external bodies including the New South Wales Information and Privacy Commission, the New South Wales Crime Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AusTRAC).

Continuing Commitment

The Premier of New South Wales, Christopher Minns, declared that the creation of this special body is part of an ongoing gambling harm reduction campaign and follows the recent introduction of a new law that will ban external gaming room signage in the jurisdiction of over 8.1 million people from the first day of September.

The 43-year-old Labor leader stated that his administration has furthermore recently lowered the poker machine entitlements cap by more than $3,000, reduced the maximum cash input limit on such units by 90% to $500 and barred gaming room operators from making local political donations.

“We know the harmful effects of problem gaming on families and I want to make sure we stamp out criminal activity in clubs,” Minns said. “This panel is an important next step. The panel has a big job to do but we have the balance right to ensure we have an evidence-based roadmap for future gaming reforms.”

Broad Brief

Minns detailed that the commission, which also features four industry envoys, two experienced academics, an agent from Cyber Security New South Wales and a United Workers Union representative, is to establish, implement, evaluate and review the cashless electronic gaming machines trial set to launch later this year in hotels and clubs across the whole of Australia’s most populous state.

As part of this process the panel is to formulate an array of recommendations for the government to consider regarding future infrastructure investment requirements as well as employment and industry impacts along with more stringent gambling harm and money laundering minimization options.

These are subsequently set to join the gaming reform implementation roadmap presented to the Minns administration late next year.

Experienced Excellence

For his part, Foggo admitted to being ‘delighted’ with his role on the new panel, which additionally has four harm minimization experts and a New South Wales Police representative, as he has possessed ‘a keen interest in the field of gaming reform’ throughout the whole of his career and is now looking forward to ‘working alongside the New South Wales government on this important initiative’.

“Harmful gambling not only impacts individuals but also their loved ones and the broader community, which is why it is so important that we work together to reduce gambling harm,” Foggo said. “We must also ensure that there are appropriate mechanisms in place to stop the money laundering and criminal activity associated as outlined in the New South Wales Crime Commission report.”

Supplementary Supervision

In conjunction with all of this, the new panel is to work with treasury officials and cabinet office figures so as to examine the Liquor and Gaming New South Wales-led review of the state’s ClubGRANTS Scheme charity program.

“We want to make sure we get the balance right and consider all relevant factors so that any future reforms implemented by the New South Wales government work,” Foggo said. 

“The independent panel will get straight to work and will meet in the coming weeks to confirm the framework of the cashless gaming trial and recommend an appropriate mix of venues for the trial to the New South Wales government.”