ACT Pokies Reforms: What Canberra’s Cash Ban and Cashless Cards Mean for Punters

The ACT pokies reforms, announced on 15 September 2026, will bring cashless gaming to every ACT venue with poker machines. If you play pokies at a Canberra club, the package changes how you pay, play and take breaks. Here’s each change and its start date, including a planned cap of 1,000 machines by 2045.

Our Australian gambling news team checked every date against the government’s release.

Long Story Short: ACT Pokies Reforms

The ACT pokies reforms arrive in stages between late 2026 and 2045.

• EFTPOS cash withdrawals at venues with pokies end six weeks after a regulation is notified in October 2026.
• ATMs go next, with the government’s release putting that ban in 2027.
• You’ll need a registered player account, with a loss limit you set, to play any poker machine.
• Machines switch off for 15 extra hours a week from 1 July 2027.
• Self-exclusion moves online, with bans from six months to five years.

What the ACT Government Announced

Minister for Gaming Reform Dr Marisa Paterson released the package on Tuesday 15 September 2026. Paterson said one in six ACT adults experience some form of gambling harm, including from someone else’s gambling.

The gambling exclusion bill went to the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday 16 September. The government says the main gaming machine bill is due in October 2026. Most start dates depend on when it passes.

How the ACT Pokies Reforms Work

The ACT pokies reforms make five main changes for club players.

No More Cash Withdrawals at the Venue

An EFTPOS cash withdrawal is when a venue hands you cash from your card at the bar or counter. Both that and the venue ATM go, so you can’t top up from your bank account mid-session.

Paterson said less access to cash creates a break in play, giving people time to reconsider their spending.

Cashless Cards With a Loss Limit

Account-based cashless gaming means every bet runs through a registered player account, not cash in the machine. Under the plan, you show ID to open an account, load funds onto a card and set a loss limit. Clubs must also enforce a 15-minute break after every hour of continuous play.

The government says this starts 12 months after the gaming bill becomes law. However, it doesn’t set a dollar figure for the limit; you choose it.

Shorter Hours From 1 July 2027

A poker machine shutdown is the window when venues must switch machines off. The new windows are:

• Monday to Thursday: 2am to 10am
• Friday: 2am to 9am
• Saturday: 4am to 9am
• Sunday: 4am to 10am

Friday and Saturday night trading stays the same, so the cut lands on weeknights.

Fewer Machines by 2045

A machine authorisation is the permit a club needs to run each poker machine. The gaming bill would remove at least 500 authorisations every four years until 1,000 remain. The government cites its 2024 ACT Gambling Survey, which linked poker machines to one-third of the territory’s gambling harm.

Simpler Self-Exclusion

Gambling self-exclusion is a voluntary ban you place on yourself to stay out of venues. The new scheme replaces a printed, witnessed deed with an online form. The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission will manage every exclusion centrally.

What It Looks Like for a Canberra Club Player

Picture a hypothetical weeknight once every stage is live. A player we’ll call Sam shows a licence, opens an account and sets a $100 loss limit. After an hour, the club enforces a 15-minute break.

When the balance hits zero, Sam can’t get cash at the bar or an ATM, and machines stop at 2am.

Common Misunderstanding: BetStop Doesn’t Cover Club Pokies

One ban doesn’t cover every kind of gambling. BetStop is the national self-exclusion register for licensed online wagering. It doesn’t stop anyone playing pokies at an ACT club; that takes the ACT’s own venue exclusion.

None of these ACT rules touch online casinos, which fall under the federal Interactive Gambling Act. That law stops unlicensed operators offering online casino games to Australians; it doesn’t make playing a crime.

What This Means for Punters

Our take: the cash ban will change club nights faster than anything else here. We like that you must set a loss limit, because it makes you pick a number before the first spin.

That said, a limit only works if you set it at a level you can afford. Oh, and you don’t need to wait for 2027. Our responsible gambling guide lists free tools you can use right now.

Related Guides on Crazy Vegas

For the basics on how pokie odds and payouts work, our online pokies guide covers the lot.

Conclusion: ACT Pokies Reforms

The ACT pokies reforms would move every poker machine to cashless play and cut numbers to 1,000 by 2045. Still, the Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance criticised the lack of a mandated loss limit, Canberra Daily reported. Both bills also need to pass first.

ACT Pokies Reforms FAQs

These answers come from the ACT Government’s published reform plan.

Do the ACT pokies reforms apply to every venue with poker machines?

Yes. The government’s release says cashless gaming will cover all ACT venues with poker machines, whatever the venue type.

The EFTPOS and ATM bans work the same way. If a venue runs even one poker machine, its patrons lose on-site cash withdrawals once each ban starts.

Can I still play ACT pokies with cash before the reforms start?

Yes. Cash play continues until account-based gaming begins, 12 months after the gaming bill becomes law.

The EFTPOS ban comes sooner, about six weeks after its regulation is notified in October 2026. After that, you can still play with cash, but you can’t withdraw more at the venue.

Do the ACT pokies reforms cancel my current self-exclusion?

No. The ACT Government says current deeds of exclusion keep working throughout the changes, so your existing ban stays in place.

The new scheme starts about six months after the exclusion bill becomes law. From then, you can choose a ban of up to five years, up from three.

Where can I get help with pokies spending under the ACT reforms?

Call the ACT Gambling Support Service on 1800 858 858. Relationships Australia Canberra and Regions says the service runs 24/7.

You don’t need to wait for any reform to start before calling. The organisation also points people to actgamblingsupport.org.au for local support details.

Gamble responsibly. 18+ only. Losing is the most likely result of any bet, so set a limit and stick to it. For free, confidential help 24/7, call 1800 858 858, visit Gambling Help Online or register with BetStop.

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