The Australian Capital Territory has tabled legislation that would make every poker machine in Canberra cashless and account-based, ban ATMs from gaming venues and cut machine numbers to 1,000 by 2045.
Minister for Gaming Reform Marisa Paterson introduced the Gaming Machine (Harm Prevention and Reduction) Amendment Bill 2026 in the ACT Legislative Assembly on October 20, during Gambling Harm Action Week. The government bill amends the Gaming Machine Act 2004 and its regulation, and is now before the Assembly.
Identity-verified accounts and mandatory breaks
According to the bill’s explanatory statement, players will have to apply for a player account and have their identity verified before a player card can be issued. Machines will only be playable with that card. When setting up an account, players must set a net loss limit through pre-commitment controls, and they will be subject to a mandatory 15-minute break after an hour of play.
The framework includes safeguards against raising limits on impulse. A player who wants a higher net loss limit will have to wait 48 hours after the existing limit was set, while a lower limit can be chosen at any time. Licensees will commit an offence if they issue a player card to a child or allow a child to use the account-based system on their premises.
ATM ban and compulsory surrenders
The bill replaces the current rule, which limits ATM withdrawals at gaming venues to $250 per gaming day, with an outright ban on ATMs at any premises with gaming machines. Machine numbers in the territory will be cut to 1,000 by 2045 through a compulsory reduction of 500 authorisations every four years.
The government has built in transition time for clubs. The first compulsory surrender round will not take place until 2029, and the account-based gaming and ATM provisions will only start once the minister gives written notice. The explanatory statement says this is intended to give venues time to adapt their business operations and upgrade venue management technology.
Evidence base and reaction
The government cites its 2024 ACT Gambling Survey, which found that about one in six adults, or more than 58,000 people, reported at least one type of gambling harm, and that gaming machines accounted for one third of the territory’s total burden of gambling harm. Clubs, community groups, researchers and the Gaming Technologies Association were consulted through a Cashless Gaming Working Group.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomed the bill but said it could go further by legislating mandatory loss limits, making breaks in play enforceable rather than discretionary and extending shutdown periods. The ACT plan adds to reform pressure across Australia’s east coast, where the New South Wales ruling party has committed to higher pokies taxes and a 10-year cut to machine numbers and is rolling out facial recognition in pubs and clubs.
