World
Legislations and Reforms About Cashless Pokies in NSW
Will Cashless Slots Unite Australian Politics?
It is estimated that Australians lose around $25 billion annually on gambling activities. This large amount of money, along with the prevalence of pokie (slot) machines in New South Wales – which account for half of all pokies in Australia and roughly 20% of the world’s total – reveals that there is a serious problem with gambling in the country.
As New South Wales elections approach, the use of cashless pokies has become a major source of discussion among political parties as they attempt to address gambling addiction in both physical and Australian online casinos. Politicians have been striving to pass legislation and implement reforms to tackle this issue for a long time, and this is just their latest endeavor. It is essential to analyze the proposals of both parties to better comprehend the difficulties posed by pokies and the potential benefits of cashless pokies.
Past Proposals
The idea of enforcing cashless pokies has been floating around the Australian government for some time. In December of 2022, both the City of Sydney and Inner West Councils wanted reform for the pokies machines. It was proposed that pubs and clubs restrict the usage of pokies from midnight to 10 am. The idea was that this would reduce the harm that this way of gambling can have on players.
While some were opposed to the proposal, many have mentioned that pubs and clubs do not rely on the profits made from the pokies, so it won’t be a problem for them to turn off the machines during the proposed period. Some have even mentioned that job losses will occur from this reform. However, the United Workers Union has said that there is little to no evidence that with the reform, people have the potential to lose their job.
Labor Party New Proposal
Mid-way through January 2023, the Labor party proposed a strategy that could battle gambling addictions and money laundering in pubs and clubs in New South Wales. This eight-point strategy connects to cashless pokies and includes:
- A reduction to the cashless card limit
- A cashless pokies trial
- Banning political donations from pubs and clubs that have pokies machines
- A national exclusion registry
- Gambling signage
Chris Minns, the leader of the Labor party, believes that with these steps, the circulation of pokies will reduce. That will also lower the number of people suffering from gambling addiction, as well as reduce money laundering.
Key Pieces of the Reform
One of the main points of the Labor proposed reform is lowering the limits of the cashless pokies cards. Currently, the limit is $5,000. Wesley Mission’s chief executive Stu Cameron has been a major advocate for the implementation of the cashless pokies and their card limit being reduced. He believes that the proposal from the Labor party should focus more on that particular part rather than anything else.
Going a further step and reducing the limit from $5,000 to $500 will be a major push toward battling gambling addiction, in his opinion. On the other hand, the Liberal party has been vocal about their dislike of the proposal from the Labor party, stating that it is pointless. Although they have said that they have their own proposal so far, they’ve been avoiding sharing any information about it.
The Cashless Pokies Trial
After the proposal came out, Matt Kean, a member of the Liberal party and current treasurer of New South Wales, came out and voiced his concerns over it. He stated that while some of the points in the proposal may seem doable, others will have no impact on the gambling problem or organized money laundering.
The cashless pokies trial has been especially emphasized. The main point is that the proposed trial will only sample 500 machines which is a miniature number compared to the number of machines currently in New South Wales. While the trial can show some information, it won’t be enough to show the bigger picture – with less than 5% of the pokies tested, no significant results will come out of it.
Are Cashless Pokies the Future of Australian Gambling?
Despite all of the reforms and wishes of politicians, in February 2023, the NSW government started a comprehensive plan that will turn every pokie machine in this region of Australia cashless by the end of 2028. The NSW government has already put out several measures, including a detailed guide on how the process will happen. It has already been decided that a special Transition Taskforce will be employed to smooth out any problems that may occur. All of this is being done with the aim of curbing money laundering and illegal gambling.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About $32 million has been put into the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) by Germany through KfW Development Bank.
This funding package allows the European nation to become a D2-class shareholder of ATIDI, a status dedicated to Export Credit Agencies and Non-African Public Entities.
Of this amount, $18.4 million is funded from BMZ budget resources, with the remaining $13.6 million coming from KfW’s own resources. As such, it will assume the obligations and benefits related to its new shareholding status, including representation in ATIDI Governance and decision-making structures, and equally participating towards improving German trade and investments in Africa in alignment with the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA 2.0).
KfW’s subscription in ATIDI is the culmination of a dynamic partnership between the two organisations.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW has supported several countries’ membership in ATIDI with over $100 million in financing, thus strengthening the organisation’s capital base and expanding its ability to mitigate risk and mobilise private investment across African markets.
The new equity participation adds a direct shareholding to this long‑standing cooperation.
KfW is the 13th Institutional shareholder in Africa’s premier development insurer, further strengthening the organisation’s capital base and its capacity to support trade and investment across the continent.
At the official signing of the subscription agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, a member of the executive board of KfW, Ms Christiane Laibach, said, “Our membership is executed on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is only the latest culmination of a successful cooperation that has enabled the ATIDI membership of several African states and has created innovative insurance solutions to attract foreign investment on the continent.”
The chief executive of ATIDI, Mr Manuel Moses, said, “This milestone is iconic in many ways. First, it elevates our already dynamic bond with KfW and creates more opportunities for German investors looking to engage in Africa. It is also a recognition of ATIDI’s earned status as Africa’s top development insurer and the acknowledgement of the soundness of our business. Last, it underscores the power of partnerships in a global context increasingly marked by volatility and uncertainty. ATIDI will spare no effort to make this partnership a successful one.”
Established in 1948, KfW is Germany’s state-owned promotional and development bank and a key implementing partner of BMZ in international financial cooperation. Its shareholding in ATIDI is expected to stimulate up to $500 million in trade and investment between German companies and African markets.
Over the past 25 years, ATIDI has grown to become Africa’s premier provider of development insurance and one of its highest-rated financial organisations. It leverages its partnerships with leading multilaterals and regional bodies, including the African Union, the World Bank Group, COMESA, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), to offer innovative credit and investment insurance products that foster sustainable and transformational growth across the continent.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Netherlands’ largest energy provider, Essent, has cut the technology costs of its contact centre infrastructure by half.
The organisation, which serves 2.5 million customers, recorded zero critical incidents post-migration and improved agent workplace satisfaction by 36 per cent.
The migration was delivered in partnership with AI-first customer experience transformation specialists, Sabio Group, and was completed in under 12 weeks for an operation spanning over 1,000 agents across two locations.
Agents were forced to juggle multiple disconnected screens simultaneously — a workflow that was as inefficient as it was stressful.
“Our agents were constantly working with different screens — multiple chat instances open at once, multiple agent desktop instances. It was messy, and in some cases, quite stressful,” SAFe Product Manager for Customer Interaction, Omnichannel and Digital Transformation at Essent, Michiel Kouijzer, stated.
“A lot of colleagues were saying I was mad for even suggesting this approach. It kind of feels like a victory on a personal level that it did work out. You just have to be a little ambitious — and have the right expert partner who can make it work,” Kouijzer added.
With stable cloud infrastructure now firmly in place, Essent is turning its attention to the capabilities that were impossible in its legacy environment: AI-powered call summarisation, agentic customer self-service, and next-generation workforce optimisation.
Rather than a reckless ‘big bang’ cutover that could have affected service to millions of households, Sabio engineered a phased migration strategy — beginning with Essent’s SME segment to validate technical readiness before scaling to the full enterprise operation.
“This project showcases Sabio’s unique position in the contact centre technology landscape. We’re not just moving Essent to the cloud — we’re establishing a foundation for continuous improvement in their customer experience delivery,” the Country Manager for Sabio Group Benelux, Wouter Bakker, commented.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
On April 11, the presentation of the book “Africa: a new market for Russian business” took place, which aroused lively diverse interests among business representatives, entrepreneurs and employees of federal structures of Russia. The event was dedicated to discussing the prospects of Russian companies entering the African market and became a platform for the exchange of views and experiences.
Participating guests, packed in the small hall, included:
– representatives of business circles,
– entrepreneurs interested in new directions of development,
– employees of federal agencies curating foreign economic activity.
The presentation was held in a constructive and friendly atmosphere. The author of the book, Serge Fokas Odunlami, detailed the key ideas and conclusions presented in the publication. Particular attention was paid to the practical aspects of operating in the African market, as well as the analysis of opportunities and risks for Russian companies.
During the lively discussion, participants asked questions, shared their experiences and made suggestions for developing cooperation with African countries. This format allowed not only to get acquainted with the content of the book, but also to discuss topical issues of expanding business relations.
Meaning of the book: The publication, “Africa: a new market for Russian business” offers readers not only analytical, but also practical recommendations on investment and market trends, and how to enter the African market. The book will be a useful tool for those considering Africa as a promising destination for investment and business development.
The presentation of the book became a significant event for the Russian business community interested in expanding cooperation with Africa. Serge Fokas Odunlami introduced the participants to the new edition, which is a comprehensive business guide that gives an impetus for dialogue and implementation of joint entrepreneurial projects and corporate initiatives across Africa.
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