Media Release: Gaming Commission Warned Rockliff Government Pokies Backflip Policy will Cause Harm, not Help

July 14, 2026

Image courtesy: Sydney Morning Herald Nov. 2021.

Independent Gaming Commission Warned Rockliff Government Pokies Backflip Policy will Cause Harm, not Help

14 July 2026

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today described as a “bombshell” documents released under the Right to Information Act 2009, revealing the State Government did not initially seek advice from the independent Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission (TLGC), and then subsequently ignored the TLGC’s strong advice, when devising new measures to replace the abandoned nation-leading mandatory precommitment pokies card.

“We now have formal confirmation the Rockliff Government not only failed to seek initial advice from the independent, expert Gaming Commission, it then deliberately refused to heed the Commission’s strong warning the government’s new measures will cause more harm than deliver protections,” Ms Webb said.

Ms Webb pointed to the following statement made by the TLGC in a letter to the Treasurer of 31 March this year released under RTI:

“As an introductory statement, the Commission has no evidence that it can provide to you that any of the initiatives currently proposed in the package will minimise harm. Indeed, we are concerned that many will not deliver protections from gambling harm, but in fact will have the opposite effect, and take Tasmania backwards from where it currently is.”

“These bombshell RTI documents are a damning indictment on the Rockliff Government.

“The only reason you don’t ask the statutory independent entity charged with providing you advice on a critical public policy matter, is because you know you, or your industry mates, will not like the answer.

“It is shocking that despite the TLGC’s letters specifically raising the prospect of greater risk of money-laundering under the government’s new measures the Treasurer has remained silent and failed to address these very real and serious concerns of opening the door to criminal activity.”

Ms Webb said the TLGC is specifically charged under the Gaming Control Act 1993 to regulate and control gaming to ensure it is free from criminal influence and exploitation.

“Yet when the Commission raises the fact that the Rockliff Government’s policy increases the risk of money-laundering that advice is met with radio-silence.

“This exchange of letters, released under RTI, between Treasurer Abetz and the TLGC make it clear that the government’s decision to abandon the gold-standard pokies precommitment card for the pro-industry harmful measures was not based on evidence or sound independent advice, but will take Tasmania backwards by watering down protections while increasing the risk of criminal activity such as money-laundering.”

Ms Webb said the letters reveal the following:

  • The TLGC was not informed of the detail of the Government’s new pokies measures until the day the policy was formally announced on 23 January this year;
  • The Government did not seek any formal advice from the TLGC on the new policy prior its release on 23 January;
  • The Government ignored the subsequent strongly worded written advice from the TLGC of 31 March this year, that the new measures risk causing more harm and taking Tasmania backwards when it comes to gaming harm minimization.
  • The TLGC letters emphasise evidence-based concerns over the re-introduction of ATMs in pokies pubs and clubs, risk of increased spending and losses on pokies under the proposed Ticket-in-Ticket-out systems, limited beneficial impact of facial recognition technology, and the increased risk of money-laundering.
  • The Government has hypocritically paused the promised pre-commitment pokies card due to a stated lack of interstate evidence, while charging ahead with alternative measures which are completely without evidence they will reduce harm and against which the expert Commission has strongly raised evidence-based concerns.

The correspondence between the independent Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission and the Treasurer, released under a Right to Information request submitted by an ABC Tasmania journalist, can be viewed below or as a pdf here: