Latest Update on Cashless Gaming in Queensland

New laws have prepared the Queensland gambling industry for advances in cashless technology.

BRISBANE, Qld., Australia (December 12, 2022) — Following a decline in the use of cash, and the capacity for cashless gambling to reduce costs for venues, enhance gambling harm minimisation, and deter money-laundering, cashless gambling provisions were passed with the Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2022 on 14 October 2022.

The new rules do not mean cashless gambling will instantly become available in all gambling venues across Queensland. Rather, they ensure that cashless alternatives can be considered for use when gambling and approved, if appropriate, by the chief executive.

This will:

• allow major gambling licensees (such as licensed monitoring operators and the State’s sole wagering, keno and lotteries licensees) to propose alternative payment methods (such as digital wallets) for use in Queensland
• ensure proposed cashless systems and technology can be considered and made to undergo technical evaluation
• provide for the approval of such systems if appropriate (with conditions if required) before their use in the gambling market.

When considering proposed cash alternatives for gambling, the chief executive will take into account:

• the technical integrity of the cashless system and its potential for gambling related harm
• how the proposed cashless system replicates existing gambling harm minimisation measures or features equivalent or better harm minimisation measures
• how existing prohibitions on the use of credit for gambling are upheld.

The Commissioner’s guidelines on these matters will be published in due course.

The approval and operation of cashless systems is supported by new rules that provide the chief executive with the ability to issue guidelines under all Queensland gambling legislation and a regulation making power to prescribe harm minimisation measures which must be implemented by licensees or a class of licensees.

In accepting the recommendations of the Gotterson Report, the Government has also committed to phase out the use of cash from casino gambling environments across Queensland, with daily cash transactions limited to $1000 per patron per day. This commitment will be the subject of future legislative amendment.

SOURCE: Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

Tags: cashless gaming card, reduce costs for venues, enhance gambling harm minimisation, deter money-laundering