ACT gaming machine reform now means cashless pokies. The Gaming Machine (Harm Prevention and Reduction) Amendment Bill 2026 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on October 20, making every poker machine in Canberra account-based and removing ATMs from gaming venues.
ACT gaming machine reform now mandates cashless, account-based pokies for every machine in Canberra. ATMs at gaming venues are banned outright, and machine numbers fall to 1,000 by 2045 through 500 compulsory surrenders every four years. Players face a mandatory 15-minute break after an hour and 48-hour waits before raising loss limits.
- How Cashless Pokies and Breaks Work
- The $250 ATM Rule Is Now Gone
- Compulsory Surrenders Reach 1,000 Machines
- The Evidence Behind the Bill
- What Reformers Are Still Asking For
Marisa Paterson, the minister for gaming reform, tabled the bill in Canberra on October 20 during Gambling Harm Action Week. It amends the Gaming Machine Act 2004 and its regulation and is now sitting with the Assembly. The changes affect how players buy credit, how clubs operate, and how many machines remain on the floor.
Under the bill, every machine becomes cashless and account-based. A player must apply for an account and complete identity verification before a card is issued. That card is the only thing that can play the machine, so cashless gaming closes the gap between a physical card and an anonymous wallet.
How cashless pokies and mandatory breaks work
Players must set a net loss limit when they open the account. The limit is a pre-commitment control, not a discretionary setting. After an hour of play, the machine forces a 15-minute break before it can be played again.
Changing the loss limit takes time. A player who wants to raise the existing limit must wait 48 hours after that limit was set. A lower limit can be changed at any time. The 48-hour rule is designed to stop impulse adjustments at the moment a player is already chasing losses.
AGBrief covers how these harm-reduction rules are landing across Australia.
The $250 ATM rule is now gone
The current cap limits ATM withdrawals at gaming venues to $250 per gaming day. The bill replaces that limit with an outright ban. No ATM may operate on any premises that hosts gaming machines.
The ban closes a workaround that cashless gaming alone does not. A player can still withdraw cash at a nearby ATM and walk back in, so removing the on-site withdrawal point matters as much as the account system.
Compulsory surrenders reach 1,000 machines
Machine numbers fall to 1,000 by 2045 through compulsory reduction of 500 authorisations every four years. That is a structural limit, not a target clubs are asked to hit on their own.
Clubs get transition time. The first compulsory surrender round will not occur until 2029. The account-based gaming and ATM provisions start only once the minister gives written notice, which lets venues upgrade venue management technology before the rules bind them.
The evidence behind the ACT pokies ban
The bill cites the 2024 ACT Gambling Survey. Around one in six adults, or more than 58,000 people, reported at least one type of gambling harm. Gaming machines accounted for one third of the territory’s total gambling harm burden.
The government consulted clubs, community groups, researchers and the Gaming Technologies Association through a Cashless Gaming Working Group. Clubs and researchers were asked about the impact of cashless gaming, which is a useful sign that the bill is not being written without venue input.
What reformers are still asking for
The Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomed the bill but asked for more. It wants mandatory loss limits, enforceable rather than discretionary breaks and longer shutdown periods.
The wider picture is also moving. The New South Wales ruling party has committed to higher pokies taxes and a 10-year cut in machine numbers, and is rolling out facial recognition in pubs and clubs. The ACT plan is one reform in a sequence of east-coast measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the new ACT bill mandate?
The Gaming Machine (Harm Prevention and Reduction) Amendment Bill 2026 mandates cashless, account-based gaming on every machine. It bans ATMs at gaming venues, limits machines to 1,000 by 2045 and adds mandatory breaks and loss limits.
When do the cashless pokies rules start?
The bill takes effect only once the minister gives written notice. The first compulsory surrender round is set for 2029. Clubs are being given time to upgrade venue management technology before these provisions apply.
How many poker machines will be allowed?
Machine numbers fall to 1,000 by 2045. The reduction runs through compulsory surrenders of 500 authorisations every four years. Clubs are not asked to surrender machines on their own initiative during the transition.
What happens to players who raise their loss limits?
A higher net loss limit takes a mandatory 48-hour wait after the existing limit was set. A lower limit can be changed at any time. Players must set the limit when opening the account, and cards are only issued after identity verification.
Why is a 15-minute break being mandated?
The bill requires a 15-minute break after an hour of play, making the pause mandatory rather than a discretionary decision by the venue. Reformers want the break to be enforceable in law. Licensees must also prevent children from using the account-based system.
What does the gambling harm evidence show?
The 2024 ACT Gambling Survey found that over 58,000 adults, or around one in six, reported at least one type of gambling harm. Gaming machines accounted for one third of the territory’s total gambling harm burden, which is the main driver behind the reform.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
