Media release – Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action and Research Centre, 5 December 2024
Facial Recognition Technology an ineffective policy response
Facial Recognition Technology would fail to meet the State Government’s policy objective to reduce poker machine gambling harm to Tasmanians, says a new paper released by Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action and Research Centre today.
Poker machines are the most harmful form of gambling in Tasmania, with more than 31,000 people experiencing harm in the past year.
The Anglicare paper reviewed a variety of options for reducing and minimising gambling harm.
It shows Facial Recognition Technology would reduce gambling harm by less than 3.5% at best, which is ineffective considering the scale of the problem.
In comparison, universal pre-commitment is an effective reform, estimated to reduce gambling-related harm by 40-60%. The only comparable option in terms of effectiveness would be confining poker machines to casinos.
“Facial Recognition Technology detects people who are in breach of an exclusion order so that they can be prevented from entering a gambling venue,” said SARC coordinator, economist Mary Bennett. “In 2024 only 353 people were excluded from gaming venues. So we are talking about protection for only 0.7% of Tasmania’s poker machine users”.
Anglicare called on the State Government to publish a Gambling Harm Reduction Strategy that meets its stated policy objective of reducing the harm associated with poker machines.
“There are some smaller measures that can be introduced immediately – such as venue closures between 2 AM and 10 AM each day – that will have positive effects but cannot meet the policy objective on their own. Population-level measures that selectively target harmful gambling behaviours are the only way to achieve significant reductions in harm,” she said.
Anglicare recommended the Government also provide its action plan for working with other states on the implementation of a universal pre-commitment card system for poker machines.
“Universal pre-commitment is the clear stand-out in terms of effectiveness and we urge the Tasmanian Government to work closely with other states to keep progressing its introduction,” said Ms Bennett.
“Universal pre-commitment with default loss limits is the only measure that enables players to only spend what they can afford. It is also the best reform for reducing the harms to families, the community and the Tasmanian economy”.
Ms Bennett said reducing the avoidable costs of gambling harm would increase the effectiveness of other government reforms in mental health, family and domestic violence, child and youth safety and wellbeing, cost of living, suicide prevention and housing affordability.
