New South Wales unveils gambling reform plan with facial recognition, statewide exclusion register, and tighter ad rules

The New South Wales government, led by Premier Chris Minns, has put forward a broad gambling reform package that would bring facial recognition into venue entry checks, create a statewide exclusion register, and tighten how gambling products are marketed. For PSPs, operators, and venue-linked payment providers, the point is simple: NSW is moving further toward a compliance-heavy model, and that usually means more controls, more data handling, and less room for loose operational habits.

1. The package was announced on Tuesday as a response to gambling harm, and the government framed it as the delivery of a key election commitment. According to the official statement, the reforms are meant to strengthen player protection through a mix of new technology, stricter regulation, and stronger safeguards.
2. The plan is based on recommendations from the Independent Panel for Gambling Reform and consultations with industry participants, harm-reduction groups, and the NSW community. David Harris, the state’s Minister for Gaming and Horse Racing, described it as a comprehensive reform designed to balance protection with industry sustainability. He also said the government will keep reviewing emerging technologies to keep security measures current.
3. The government cited the 2024 New South Wales Gambling Survey, which found that 3.1% of the state’s adult population showed moderate-risk gambling behaviour, while 0.9% showed high-risk behaviour. That is the policy backdrop for the tougher controls, and it is the kind of data regulators tend to point to when they want broader venue obligations.
4. At the center of the package is a statewide exclusion register backed by mandatory facial recognition technology at the entrance to all gaming venues. Right now, voluntary self-exclusion is only available at certain hotels and clubs, and enforcement depends heavily on venue staff. The new model would also add third-party exclusion, allowing family members, friends, venues, and police to start exclusion proceedings for people at risk of developing gambling problems.
5. The plan also includes a gradual reduction in the number of poker machines, which currently stands at 87,000 units across 2,100 clubs and hotels in the state. The government said it will raise the confiscation rate to support that reduction, although it has not yet confirmed a specific timetable for the legislation needed to formally implement the package.

For high-risk businesses, the payment-relevant part is not just the machine count. A state-wide exclusion regime with facial recognition usually means tighter venue onboarding, more identity and access controls, and a more complicated compliance layer for anyone touching regulated gaming flows in New South Wales.