George Peponis said the technology shouldn\u2019t be made mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Australia.- New South Wales clubs are raising their voices again to set their position straight against the introduction of cashle<\/a>s<\/a>s gaming cards<\/a> in the state, backed by NSW prime minister Dominic Perrottet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ClubsNSW<\/strong> chairman, George Peponis<\/strong>, has accused media and anti-gambling advocates of misrepresenting its position on digital technology. The gaming group is convinced cashless gaming cards are not a workable solution as debate about the technology intensifies ahead of the state election in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW prime minister has said he is determined to ensure that pokie rules are reformed<\/a> and added neither he nor his government was \u201cgoing to be threatened by the New South Wales clubs\u2019 lobby into reforming pokie machines\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perrottet aims to pursue a cashless gaming card following a damning report from the NSW Crime Commission<\/strong> in October which found poker machines were being used to launder money. The commission\u2019s report recommended a cashless gaming card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Peponis said on Thursday according to The Mandurah Mail, \u201cthe international experience demonstrates that forcing players to use cards drives recreational players to other forms of gambling, in particular to unregulated online casinos, and can exacerbate problem gambling.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week, Unions NSW<\/strong> head Mark Morey<\/strong> said cashless cards would help alleviate problem gambling<\/a>. He told AAP: \u201cWhat I want to see is one more hurdle put in the way so that people think about what they do when they put more money into the pokie machine so they\u2019re not churning through a whole week of wages.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He added: \u201cThis is not prohibition. This is a harm minimisation strategy. It\u2019s about trying to give people time to think again before they put in more money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n