ClubsNSW: cashless gambling cards would “treat punters like criminals”

Josh Landis, ClubsNSW chief executive officer, says the proposal does not tackle the root cause of money laundering.

Australia.- The proposal to introduce mandatory cashless gaming cards in New South Wales now seems to be off the cards, but opinions continue to emerge. The move was proposed by the New South Wales Crime Commission (NSWCC) to reduce money laundering, but Josh Landis, ClubsNSW chief executive officer, says it wouldn’t solve the problem.

Landis said: “What’s happening is criminals are spending the proceeds of crime [on the pokies]. Guess what? They spend on everything from tattoos and handbags to jewellery and jetskis.”

He added: “The [NSW] Crime Commission has recommended a solution that only applies to pokie machines but has done nothing to resolve the broader issue of criminals spending money.”

Landis argued that introducing a cashless card would make everyday punters feel like criminals. He said “You would solve crime in a heartbeat by locking everyone in their homes but we don’t allow it because we’re not a police state.

“In the same way, you don’t have restrictions on poker machines that treat everyone like they are criminals to try and stop criminals from spending money. We have to have measures which are proportionate, affordable, sensible and target those who the bad guys.”

See also: Australia to include stark new warnings on gambling ads