Starting from March 31, 2026, all bars and clubs in New South Wales, Australia, will face a unified mandatory regulation: electronic gaming machines (commonly known as "pokies") must be completely shut down from 4 AM to 10 AM daily. This statewide directive will put an end to the exemption chaos that has persisted for over twenty years, pressing a daily unified "pause button" for nearly 90,000 machines—this number accounts for nearly half of the total in Australia and is second only to Nevada in the USA.
Policy core: Uniform closure from 4-10 AM, covering the entire state
Officials state that this reform mainly targets the previously "outdated" exemption system. A 2023 study found that among players active between 4 AM and 10 AM, up to 70.5% belong to high-risk or medium-risk categories. The government believes that this six-hour mandatory closure period can serve as a compulsory rest period, helping players "reset" their state and reflect, thereby breaking the "addictive state" related to harmful gambling behavior. Simply put, it forcibly cuts power during the most susceptible hours.
Ending twenty years of exemption chaos
Over the past twenty-plus years, more than 670 bars and clubs across the state have circumvented mandatory closure regulations through legislative loopholes or historical approvals (usually based on economic hardship, long operating history, or geographical location). An independent evaluation panel concluded that these exceptions should be abolished, and the closure time need not exceed six hours. Gambling Minister David Harris confirmed this decision, noting that many exemptions are no longer appropriate: "After months of review, it is clear that the exceptions that allowed over 670 clubs and bars to operate gaming machines outside regulated hours, with a history of 20 years, are no longer applicable."
A step towards harm reduction, but criticized as "the bare minimum"
Advocates for gambling harm reduction see the uniform closure as progress, but some also point out that it falls short of broader reform needs. Green Party MP Kate Fairman criticized the slow action to plug loopholes, calling this regulation the "absolute minimum" the government should do. Community organizations support this regulation. Recent analysis by the Grattan Institute estimates that in 2023, residents of New South Wales lost an average of 1288 Australian dollars per person on pokies—twice the national average, highlighting the severity of the issue.
Part of an overall harm reduction strategy
Eliminating closure exemptions is part of a series of gambling reforms in New South Wales in recent years. Other measures include drastically reducing the cash deposit limit for new machines from 5000 Australian dollars to 500 Australian dollars, lowering the statewide machine quota, prohibiting clubs with gaming machines from making political donations, implementing strict regulations on internal and external gambling signage, and staffing venues with more than 20 machines with responsible gambling officers. It is important to note that this regulation only applies to bars and clubs, not casinos, which are not subject to this daily early morning closure requirement. Globally, such public health-based operational time interventions are becoming a trend, and following professional analysis from sources like PASA's official website can help understand the regulatory logic and effectiveness in different jurisdictions.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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