New South Wales (NSW) has become the first Australian state to approve the use of facial recognition in pubs, clubs and other adult venues, in a move that will establish new safeguards on gambling activations ahead of the state-wide exclusion system being rolled out.
The initiative will form part of a new ‘code of practice’ sought by NSW Premier Chris Minns, in support of the Labor government’s mandate to strengthen gambling protections by shifting policy towards harm minimisation.
The code of practice sets out the ‘minimum expectations for [the] industry’ as it seeks to enact the headline safeguard measures outlined in NSW’s self-exclusion register, namely a land-based gambling mechanism that prevents excluded players from accessing gaming machines across all licensed venues without the need for intervention from venue owners.
It will be rolled out across adult venues that already use biometric systems to identify at-risk customers.
The government has underlined that the new controls will be targeted at “gambling activity rather than venue access”, as individuals on the register would not be barred from entering pubs or clubs, but instead would be restricted from engaging with gaming machines.
The technical applications of the Code of Practice have been approved by NSW Gaming & Racing Minister David Harris under Section 48 of the ‘Gaming Machines Act 2001’.
The code has been designed to meet federal scrutiny on the handling of biometric data, with the government reviewing NSW systems on individual privacy, data storage and proportional use of information.
The rollout of facial recognition follows a consultation involving all relevant stakeholders, including regulators, privacy authorities, public health experts and industry representatives.
Premier Chris Pinn noted NSW’s intent to “close a regulatory gap that has persisted between Australia’s online and land-based gambling controls”.
State & Federal Controls
While the national BetStop self-exclusion system, administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), applies uniformly to online wagering, enforcement of exclusions across land-based venues has relied on individual venues being able to monitor and intervene on a case-by-case basis.
However, the new model seeks to introduce a centralised, technology-enabled framework that is capable of enforcing exclusions consistently across the state’s extensive network of pubs and clubs.
Enforced protections will include mandatory shutdown periods for gaming machines between 4am and 10am, as well as a reduction in cash deposit limit from AU$5,000 to AU$500 (€300 ) on all new gaming machines.
The NSW administration has stated that it will continue to apply land-based gambling controls on an evidence-led basis.
David Harris, Minister for Gaming, concluded: “The Minns Labor Government takes gambling harm minimisation seriously and while the Coalition sat on their hands during their 12 years in government, we are continuing to work with industry to develop new and innovative measures to minimise patrons’ harm.
“We will continue to deliver evidence-based reforms to ensure we are striking the balance of addressing gambling harm while supporting an industry that contributes billions to the NSW economy and employs more than 150,000 people.”
