Clubs Australia wants exemptions on use of facial recognition technology
It says the technology is needed to enforce gambling exclusions.
Australia.- Clubs Australia is calling for gaming venues to be exempt from new rules on the use of facial recognition technology. The coalition of state and territory associations represents the interests of more than 6,500 licensed clubs across Australia and New Zealand.
The federal government is introducing stringent regulations on the collection, storage, and use of biometric data, including facial recognition as part of its digital identity scheme. The regulations aim to enhance privacy protections and safeguard sensitive information. However, Clubs Australia says the proposed restrictions could undermine gambling harm reduction, including the ability to identify people listed on self-exclusion registers, a requirement in various states.
According to Clubs Australia, licensed clubs across the country have a number of duties and functions that require identity verification:
- Complying with sign-in requirements imposed by state and territory legislation, where clubs must collect and retain certain personal information of all members and visitors
- Evidencing that the club checked the age of a patron, to ensure the club is complying with requirements to turn away minors
- Holding a register of members, which is a requirement, per se, in most jurisdictions, and also enables clubs to notify members about general meetings like AGMs
- Undertaking customer due diligence under the Anti-Money Laundering and CounterTerrorism Act 2006
- Administering gambling self-exclusion schemes, as required by state and territory laws.
Clubs Australia said several gambling venues in Australia, particularly in South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales, have already implemented facial recognition technology to identify people on self-exclusion registers. It recommended that the government continue to consult with industry, including Clubs Australia.
