ACT advances cashless gaming plan and long-term reduction in poker machines
The Australian Capital Territory Government has outlined a wide-ranging overhaul of poker machine regulation, including mandatory account-based cashless gaming, player loss limits and a long-term reduction in machine numbers.
Announced on 15 September 2026, the package is intended to reduce gambling harm while giving Canberra’s community clubs time and support to develop revenue streams that are less dependent on gaming machines.
Player accounts and mandatory safeguards
Under the proposed cashless system, anyone using a poker machine in the ACT would need to register an account with the venue, verify their identity and obtain a player card. Funds would be loaded onto the account rather than inserted directly into a machine.
Players would be required to choose a maximum loss limit. Accounts would record spending and losses within the venue, while clubs would have to enforce a 15-minute break after every hour of continuous poker machine play.
The proposed venue-based model would not use a central monitoring system connecting every operator in the territory. Gaming Reform Minister Marisa Paterson said the cost of such infrastructure and the ACT’s shrinking machine market made a territory-wide system impractical.
Cash access and operating hours to be restricted
The reforms include bans on EFTPOS cash withdrawals and ATMs at venues operating electronic gaming machines. The EFTPOS restriction is expected to commence six weeks after the relevant regulation is notified, while venues would receive 12 months to remove ATMs after the legislation passes.
Poker machine availability will also be reduced by 15 hours a week. From 1 July 2027, machines are scheduled to shut down from 2am to 10am between Monday and Thursday, from 2am to 9am on Friday, from 4am to 9am on Saturday and from 4am to 10am on Sunday.
ACT targets 1,000 machines by 2045
The Gaming Machine (Harm Prevention and Reduction) Amendment Bill 2026 is expected to establish a legally binding pathway to no more than 1,000 poker machine authorisations across the ACT by 2045.
The proposed schedule requires the territory-wide cap to fall by at least 500 authorisations every four years until the target is reached. The ACT had already reduced the number of authorised machines to fewer than 3,500 by July 2025.
The bill containing the cashless gaming framework and machine reduction schedule was slated for introduction in October 2026. Account-based gaming would begin 12 months after the resulting legislation is notified and commences.
Self-exclusion system to be simplified
A separate bill introduced in the ACT Legislative Assembly on 16 September 2026 would replace the existing paper-based self-exclusion process with a centrally managed digital system.
People would be able to apply online and choose an exclusion period of between six months and five years. The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission would manage exclusion arrangements, while venues would receive clearer obligations to identify gambling harm risks, prevent excluded patrons from playing and connect people with support services.
Clubs raise concerns about financial pressure
The club sector and the ACT opposition have warned that the measures could reduce revenue, threaten employment and encourage some patrons to travel across the New South Wales border to gamble in Queanbeyan.
Gambling reform advocates have broadly supported stronger protections but questioned the use of separate venue accounts. Critics argue that players could reach a loss limit at one club and then continue gambling at another venue.
Transition group planned for the club sector
The government plans to establish a joint transition group involving clubs and other stakeholders. Its work will include helping venues diversify income, make better use of land and assets, and consider developments such as housing or aged-care facilities.
An internal government steering committee will also assess regulatory changes and support measures. The transition process is intended to preserve community facilities while reducing the sector’s reliance on poker machine revenue.