Western Sydney has long been at the frontline of the gambling-related harm epidemic. It suffers the largest share of gambling losses in NSW and is home to the largest number of electronic gaming machines. In 2023, the NSW Government committed to mandating the use of facial recognition technology in hotels and clubs with gaming machines to make it easier to identify self-excluded gamblers.
Western Sydney Community Forum welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the NSW Government’s consultation process to inform the implementation of mandatory facial recognition technology, and put forward a submission with the following three recommendations:
- Adopt a mandatory, universal cashless payment system with harm minimisation features to prevent gambling-related harm and support all people engaging in gambling.
- Mandate formal approval processes for facial recognition technology, to ensure they are operated independently and in compliance with data security standards.
- Penalise gaming venues that fail to identify and remove excluded customers from the premises or nominated area of the premises.
