His push came after thehighly anticipated report from the powerful NSW Crime Commission last week found “a significant amount of money which is put through poker machines is the proceeds of crime”,including drug dollars. The report called for the introduction of cashless gaming cards.
Greenwich’s move would have wedged the Coalition and Labor,who would have been forced to take a position on the cashless cards ahead of the state election.
However,the bill – which would reform how clubs operate,including a provision to allow the use of facial recognition,and excluding problem gamblers – has been put on ice and will not be debated during the final sitting weeks of Parliament.
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Facial recognition technology is backed by ClubsNSW,the powerful lobby group representing registered clubs,and the Australian Hotels Association (AHA).
The government introduced the bill to parliament before the Crime Commission’s report was released,but the proposed amendment would have created a political headache for the government,which does not have enough seats in the lower house to pass legislation on its own. It would also have come up against fierce opposition from pubs and clubs,which do not want a mandatory card imposed on them.
Greenwich said it was a missed opportunity,but he would pursue legislation in the next term of parliament. He and the Greens opposed the facial recognition technology,arguing that it was not a true harm-minimisation measure.