IAG MAR 2023

IAG MAR 2023年3月 亞博匯 29 封面故事 its full policy outline, including plans to ensure all poker machines in NSW go cashless within five years and the removal of 2,000 machines from circulation, plus various grants and loans to assist pubs and clubs in transitioning to the new technology. Somewhat surprisingly given that industry suppliers have been busily developing cashless gaming technology for years now, the government’s cashless gaming push found a vocal opponent in the state’s foremost clubs lobby group, ClubsNSW, with CEO Josh Landis claiming such a move would treat ordinary players like criminals. Sadly for Landis, his three- year tenure as ClubsNSW boss came to an abrupt end in late January when he was sacked for linking Perrottet’s cashless gaming agenda to his Catholic faith during an interview. The Lobby group has gone decidedly quiet on the issue since. Yet despite that imbroglio and claims by some renowned anti- gambling media outlets that the industry is actively working to block the introduction of cashless gaming technology, nothing could be further from the truth, with key suppliers having lobbied government for trials long before the issue became trendy. Two of those suppliers, IGT and Aristocrat, are now in the process of doing just that, with IGT in the process of launching a full-cashless trial at Club York in the Sydney CBD and Aristocrat last year launching the state’s first cashless gaming trial at Wests Newcastle. The Club York trial, according to IGT’s Director – Systems Product & Sales, Asia-Pacific, John van Waard, will include both qualitative and quantitative Josh Landis聲稱此舉是將普通玩家視為 潛在的罪犯。 但令人遺憾的是，L a n d i s的任 期於 1 月下旬突然被結束，可能由 於其較早時指責新南威爾士州州長 Dominic Perrottet，將其天主教信仰 與無現金博彩技術串連起來。自那之 後，ClubsNSW就此問題斷然保持沉 默。 儘管出現一些混亂場景，但部分知 名反博彩的媒體聲稱這一行業正積極阻 止無現金博彩技術的引入，但事實並非 如此。主要供應商實際一早在該問題成 為熱點話題之前，已經開始遊說政府。 其中兩大供應商IGT和Aristocrat， 現在也正在這樣做。IGT正在悉尼CBD 的Club York推出全面的無現金試驗，而 Aristocrat則於去年在Wests Newcastle 推出該州首個無現金博彩的試驗。 I GT亞太區系統產品和銷售總監 John Van Waard表示，在Club York試