The Minns Labor Government continues to reduce gambling harm by delivering on its commitment to remove outdated exemptions that enabled more than 650 pubs and clubs to operate gaming machines during standard shutdown hours.

Following an announcement in December by the Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris that exemptions would cease from 31 March 2026, more than 650 venues will be required from 1 April to shut down all gaming machines between 4am to 10am each day, in line with NSW standard shutdown hours.

The six-hour shutdown is a harm minimisation measure intended to provide players with an important break in play.

Of the 672 venues with a varied shutdown period, usually for three hours instead of six, many have been in place for more than 20 years. These were given for reasons including being in high traffic ‘tourist’ locations, a history of earlier opening hours or financial hardship.

Venues that believed they had a strong case to keep their exemptions under the legislation and the revised Ministerial Guidelines, had the opportunity to put their case to Liquor & Gaming NSW.

As of 24 March 2026, 649 have been revoked by Liquor & Gaming NSW under delegation from the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority and 10 by the Authority itself. Thirteen venues remain under assessment. All venues will be considered and an outcome communicated by 31 March 2026.

Sixty-two venues applied to keep their exemptions. Of the 49 applications assessed so far, all have been revoked.

Liquor & Gaming NSW will undertake a compliance campaign after 1 April when the new requirements come into effect, to ensure all venues are abiding by the changes.

A Review of Gaming Machine Shutdown Hours Framework conducted by Liquor & Gaming NSW in 2024 found that a minimum six-hour shutdown period, commencing no later than 4am, is effective at minimising gambling harm.

The move continues a suite of gaming reforms which the Minns Government has implemented since coming into office, including:

• Reducing the cash input limit from $5000 to $500 for all new gaming machines

• Reducing the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements, so that every year the number of gaming machines reduces based on forfeiture rates

• Banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines

• Banning external gaming-related signage and internal gaming-related signage that can be seen from outside the venue

• Introducing Responsible Gambling Officers in venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements and mandating that extra Responsible Gambling Officers be on duty in venues after midnight

• Mandating that all venues with gaming machines must keep a Gaming Plan of Management and a Gambling Incident Register

• Banning gambling advertising on public transport and the ferries and terminals people catch it from

• Consulting with the community on a third-party exclusion scheme and use of mandatory facial recognition technology to support a statewide exclusion register for NSW hotels and clubs with gaming machines

Launching a NSW-first code of practice for the use of facial recognition in pubs and clubs that use the technology, following full consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including harm minimisation advocates, the NSW Privacy Commissioner and industry.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said: “The Minns Labor Government takes gambling harm minimisation seriously and that’s why I called for a review of the gaming machine variations back in December that has removed outdated exemptions that enabled more than 650 pubs and clubs to operate gaming machines during standard shutdown hours.

“Following months of review, it was clear these variations enabling about 20 per cent of clubs and pubs with gaming machines to operate outside of the mandated hours, some of which were more than 20 years old, were no longer fit for purpose.

“To enable variations to be revoked, I updated the Ministerial Guidelines and set up a streamlined process for venues to make their case if they wished to keep their variation, and to allow for a transition period.

“These changes are expected to prevent and reduce gambling harm.

“The NSW Government will continue to deliver evidence-based reforms to ensure we are striking the balance of addressing gambling harm while supporting sustainable development of an industry that employs more than 150,000 people in NSW and injects billions into the economy.”

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Light & Wonder Inc. has announced that it will showcase its latest gaming innovations at the Australasian Hospitality & Gaming Expo (AHGE) in Brisbane, Australia March 25–26. The show offers operators an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the new COSMIC DUAL cabinet alongside a portfolio of high-performing game content, player engagement solutions and electronic table game innovations.

“At Light & Wonder, we remain focused on delivering innovation that helps our customers create more engaging experiences for their players. The introduction of the COSMIC DUAL cabinet, alongside our latest portfolio of games and player engagement solutions, reflects our continued investment in hardware, content, and systems designed to drive performance across the gaming floor,” said Siobhan Lane, Chief Executive Officer of Gaming at Light & Wonder.

Visitors to Booth #194 can experience the latest evolution of Light & Wonder’s globally successful COSMIC hardware family with the all‑new COSMIC DUAL cabinet. Designed to deliver enhanced player experience and improved operational efficiency, COSMIC DUAL combines next-generation hardware with a sleek, modern design. The cabinet features dual Wide Color Gamut-enabled HD displays delivering vibrant graphics and smooth animations, plus an enhanced floating AR‑1 iDECK button panel with a larger player interface and signature cosmic lighting to stand out on casino floors.

The COSMIC DUAL cabinet’s debut will be supported by a curated lineup of new game content designed for the Australian market, including exclusive launches and elevated extensions of proven regional performers. Highlights include the exclusive JIN CHAN Repeat Win game family, alongside enhanced versions of fan‑favorite brands such as EUREKA N’ EVEN MORE BLASTIN’ and PIGGY N’ EVEN MORE BANKIN’. Also on display will be LOCK N’ MORE LINK, featuring familiar themes including PIGGY N’ MORE BANKIN’, EUREKA N’ MORE BLASTIN’, HUFF N’ MORE PUFF, and CATS HATS N’ MORE BATS.

In addition to its gaming portfolio, Light & Wonder will highlight systems solutions designed to enhance player engagement and streamline casino operations. The Patron Kiosk platform will be showcased as a flexible self-service solution that allows guests to access player club services, redeem rewards, and manage accounts through a modern, intuitive interface. The Display Manager Patron Kiosk platform extends these capabilities directly to the gaming machine, enabling players to access rewards, promotions, and event entries without leaving their game.

Light & Wonder will also showcase electronic table game innovations such as the QUARTZ VEGAS STAR platform, which offers immersive gameplay through titles like Roulette, ROULETTEX, and Tiger Baccarat. This platform is designed to elevate the electronic table games experience. The GM ATLAS Progressive Table system will feature games ULTIMATE TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, FREE BET BLACKJACK, DOUBLE HOOK POKER, and DOUBLE DOWN MADNESS, offering operators fresh ways to engage players at tables.

The Company will also shine a spotlight on the QUARTZ HYBRID terminal which brings several side bets from L&W’s extensive library of table games. These include DRAGON BONUS & LUCKY 6 side bets for Baccarat as well as stadium play for ROULETTE, ROULETTEX, STADIUM BLACKJACK, CASINO WAR, and THREE CARD POKER.

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Aristocrat Gaming is going to participate in the Australian Hospitality & Gaming Expo (AHG) this March.

Taking place from the 25 – 26 March at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Aristocrat Gaming will give customers a first-class pass to see their brand-new line up of content for the Australian and New Zealand markets, supported by its show-stopping hardware, The Baron Upright.

Demonstrating the continued growth of their portfolio for clubs, hotels and casinos across ANZ, Aristocrat Gaming will have a broad line-up of new games for this region. Players will be delighted with the new entertainment options, whilst giving customers a competitive edge in a very strong hospitality market.

“Our studio teams here in Australia, and across the world, have been focused on delivering ANZ-first content for players and we’re incredibly proud to show that to customers at the expo” said David Ronson, Managing Director Aristocrat Gaming ANZ.

“There are now also over 10,000 Baron Upright cabinets across Australia and New Zealand and we can’t wait to continue building that momentum with an exciting line up of new content for our customers that drive their business forward,” said David.

Cash Express Legend and Dragon Vault are two new games launching at the show, accompanied by Cash Horns and Jackpot Tales – two new game families that were released in late February. Highlights of the content line-up includes:

• Cash Express Legend – Reimagines the classic game theme with all new trains and games. The iconic train feature returns, but it’s enhanced with four trains, new jackpots, plus Repeat Win and feature-in-feature Hold & Spin.

• Dragon Vault – A strong game in North America, this game has been re-designed for the Australian player with stunning Asian themed games. The symbol-driven “Overlapping Bonuses” feature enables Hold & Spin upgrades.

• Cash Horns – A rampagingly good game featuring charging bulls, it features easy-to-follow game play, and multi-level Hold and Spin.

• Jackpot Tales – Combines all-time classic stories with up-to-date game play for an exciting experience where players take on a quest for golden treasure chests.

With an ever-expanding portfolio, Aristocrat Gaming continues to support the existing fleet, including new games for Heaven and Earth as well as Thunder Empire X, all of which will be on display at the expo.

The Gaming Systems business from Aristocrat Interactive will also showcase how it is innovating the patron experience. It provides venues with a powerful, all-in-one platform for player engagement, promotions, membership management and real-time gaming performance reporting. It’s designed for scalability to enable venues to seamlessly add modules to suit the growth of their business.

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