Media release – Eric Abetz, Treasurer, 23 January 2026
New EGM harm minimisation measures implemented in Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government is delivering a strong suite of new harm minimisation measures for electronic gaming machines in hotels and clubs.
New measures include longer closing hours for gaming areas in hotels and clubs, a Ticket In and Ticket Out system and provisions to make self-exclusion immediate.
Treasurer Eric Abetz said the Government is taking strong action to protect those who need it while also respecting individual choice.
“As a community, we must seek to protect the most vulnerable among us,” the Treasurer said.
“We also must accept that people have a right to their own agency.
“As a Government, our focus is to reduce red tape and regulation, not personal freedoms.”
Currently hotels and clubs have a mandatory four hour closure of their gaming areas registered at a time of their choosing. The enforced closing period will be increased by 75 per cent to seven hours every 24 hours.
Ticket In Ticket Out will be introduced into hotels and clubs with limitations as follows:
- A ticket can only be loaded onto a gaming machine to a maximum of $200; and
- An electronic gaming machine can only be loaded with a maximum of $100 at any given time.
The current cap on electronic gaming machines for hotels and clubs is 2,350 and historically has not been met. Hotels and clubs will have until 30 June 2026 to apply for licences to meet this cap, should they wish.
After 30 June, a new cap will be in place which will be the number of EGMs taken up at this point. After this, the intention is the cap will be reduced through natural attrition over time where every second surrendered or forfeited machine will be removed from the cap.
Currently there is a cumbersome process for people to self-exclude from venues. New technology, once developed, will allow for an immediate self-exclusion process with QR codes available at venues.
Facial recognition technology will be mandatory with images of all registered excluded patrons obtained through the Tasmanian Gambling Exclusion Scheme. This is designed to make venues more effective at enforcing exclusion.
Further, venues will be permitted to host an ATM onsite under the condition it is fitted with facial recognition technology with a limit set for withdrawals every 24 hours.
“These reforms deliver on our commitment to increase harm minimisation measures while we continue to monitor progress interstate of the pre-commitment gaming card,” Treasurer Abetz said.
Media release – Meg Webb, independent MLC for Nelson, 23 January 2026
Rockliff Government Abandons Harm Minimisation
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb MLC today described poker machine measures announced today by the Rockliff government as making a mockery of harm minimisation – ranging from minimal effectiveness to actively promoting greater harm.
“First Premier Rockliff betrayed Tasmanians by abandoning the nation-leading pokies card and now he has abandoned all genuine commitment to minimising poker machine harm in the community,” Ms Webb said.
“Reducing gaming room opening hours to 17 hours per day instead of 20 hours will have minimal impact, applying only to a small handful of venues open under currently allowed hours.
“Facial recognition technology to enforce self-exclusion is an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff – relevant only to those who are at the extremity of a pokies addiction, whose lives have already been wrecked.
“Most disturbing and shameless are the announcements presented as harm minimisation which will in fact drive higher levels of addiction and greater harm.
“Permitting venues to have an ATM onsite goes against all expert evidence which points to the accessibility of cash as a significant factor in pushing higher losses and greater harm – made clear in the 2010 Productivity Commission Gambling Inquiry report.
“Moving to an out-dated ‘Ticket In Ticket Out’ system is a form of cashless play, which all gambling harm research shows will cause greater losses and harm unless accompanied by other effective measures such as mandatory pre-commitment.
“If we face the cost of retrofitting our Tasmanian pokies industry to a new technology, why not go with the gold-standard pokies card with set loss limits.”
Ms Webb said this the opposite of the Premier’s previous claim of working towards a national approach.
“Instead, this looks to be creating a bespoke system for Tasmania which will be costly and create a higher risk of harm.
“Make no mistake, the Rockliff Government is choosing to put vulnerable Tasmanians in harm’s way with their sycophantic pandering to the pokies lobby.”
Ms Webb said it was even more extraordinary to see these woeful measures announced on the same day the Deloitte report on the impact of the previously intended gold-standard pokies card was made public by the government.
“The long-awaited Deloitte report categorically supports the significant value to Tasmania of the government’s previously planned nation-leading pokies card.
“The numbers are in – the Deloitte report confirms that a pokies card with set loss limits will reduce pokies expenditure and harm, particularly for those at moderate to high risk of gambling harm, and it would lift Tasmania’s Gross State Product and net employment.
“It is nothing short of gross negligence the Rockliff Government has abandoned the pokies card, a gold-standard harm reduction measure which would provide significant economic benefit to our State and instead seeks to introduce measures proven to actively increase harm to the Tasmanian community.”
From Deloitte report on State Growth website: (https://www.stategrowth.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/618023/Deloitte_Electronic-Gaming-Machine-use-in-Tasmania_Dec-2025.PDF)
The reforms are estimated to reduce EGM player gambling expenditure by 23% – 46% under the modelled scenarios. The change captures both the decrease in EGM expenditure and any increase in non-EGM gambling expenditure. The results demonstrate that the harm minimisation features of card-based gambling have the largest impact on total gambling expenditure, particularly for those at moderate to high risk of gambling harm.
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Net economic impact
The reforms are projected to cause a decline in activity and employment at venues, but this is more than offset by increases in activity and employment in other sectors. This trend is consistent across regions, but the magnitude is larger in regions with more EGMs.
While there may be a reduction in revenue for venues operating EGMs, the broader economic benefits include improved labour productivity due to reduced gambling-related absenteeism, enhanced household disposable income and reduced costs to government associated with delivery of healthcare, mental health support, homelessness programs, policing, courts, and corrections.
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The proposed reforms are expected to lift Tasmania’s GSP and net employment, relative to the State’s economic baseline. This finding holds across each of the three scenarios.
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The social outcomes of the reform are anticipated to be largely positive; an effectual consequence of the reform considering gambling related harm is not confined to problem gamblers. Firstly, the study shows that a meaningful reduction in gambling-related harm is expected, particularly among problem gamblers, moderate risk gamblers, and their communities. This reduction is then expected to lead to decreased demand for public health and social support services, decreased costs for justice and policing, improved productivity, and overall improvements in community wellbeing.
Media release – Vica Bayley MHA, Greens Treasury spokesperson, 23 January 2026
Deloitte Report Backs Mandatory Pokies Card
The newly released Deloitte Report looking at the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission-recommended mandatory precommitment card for poker machines provides a comprehensive endorsement of this critical reform.
This report shows a mandatory pokies precommitment card is a no-brainer. It would significantly reduce the number of problem gamblers, lead to more job creation, improve a range of social outcomes, and reduce costs to the State Budget.
The Rockliff Government has come up with plenty of excuses as to why they’re now rejecting this important reform. Backed by extensive evidence, this report demonstrates that none of those excuses stack up.
Deloitte don’t just show that a pokies card would lead to a huge reduction in the harm caused by pokies. It also shows how beneficial it will be for our community, businesses, and the economy. In fact, the parts of the state that would have the biggest reduction of pokies use would actually see the biggest increases in employment and economic activity.
This report has made it crystal clear: Tasmania would be much better off if the pokies card was introduced. No other steps the government is taking will reduce pokies harm to this extent, or have the same, community-wide benefits. Worryingly, some of what they’ve announced today may only make the problem worse.
With the evidence for action now stronger than ever, the Liberals need to stop focusing on maximising the profits of pokies barons, recommit to the introduction of this card and immediately kick off the introduction of this nation-leading reform.
Deloitte report endorses pokies card reform
The government late on a Friday, before a long weekend, has finally released the overdue Deloitte report into mandatory player pre-commitment cards.
It’s no surprise to those who’ve been advocating for this reform for so long that the report says the mandatory pre-commitment card is an absolute winner.
The Deloitte report says the reform could deliver up to $230 million of economic benefit, create 200 jobs, and save the government millions of dollars when it comes to health, community and corrections spending, simply by introducing the pre-commitment card as initially proposed by the Tasmanian government.
It is critical now the government follows through with the 2022 ministerial directive to introduce the card. The directive is still on the books and it implements the mandatory pre-commitment card.
The government has a very clear report – that they commissioned at the behest of the THA – which says the mandatory pre-commitment card reform is the gold standard in harm minimisation, and it would have significant economic benefit to the people of Tasmania and be a saving on the budget.
Anything else the government is considering doing is worse than mere window dressing; it is doing the industry’s bidding at the expense of everyday Tasmanians.
The government needs to be focused on what its own report has said the card reform would bring: significant economic benefit, significant increase in job opportunities, and significant savings to the already struggling budget.
Media release – Anglicare Tasmania, 23 January 2026
Anglicare Tasmania’s response to the Tasmanian Government’s announcement on gambling harm reduction
Today’s announcement of a small number of gambling harm reduction measures would have very limited effectiveness, says Anglicare Tasmania.
“We’re disappointed to say the least – and urge the government to put the Tasmanian community first, and do more,” said CEO Chris Jones.
“We acknowledge that a reduction in venue opening hours will be helpful for those people who find it difficult to limit the time they spend gambling.
“However, none of the measures announced today will prevent harm from occurring in the first place, which is what the Tasmanian community desperately needs,” he said.
Dr Jones said that only a mandatory card with pre-set loss limits – as recommended by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission – provides the gold standard response to gambling harm.
“It’s the only mechanism that would provide people with an effective budgeting tool so that they can control the amount of money they can afford to lose,” he said.
“We know from our research and from our frontline workers that this would have enormous flow-on benefits to the entire Tasmanian community – and it would save lives.
“The government must keep the door open for stronger, more effective harm minimisation measures to be introduced,” said Dr Jones.
“In the meantime, we continue to encourage any Tasmanians affected by gambling harm to reach out to the Gamblers Help service on 1800 243 232 for friendly and confidential support.”
