A major data breach of up to a million people who have visited hospitality venues in NSW has cast a shadow over how the NSW Government plans to protect the privacy of those who participate in a cashless gaming trial.

Personal information is now in the hands of a third-party technology provider who is threatening to make public the private details of thousands of mums and dads in NSW.

This is a major setback for the independent panel team and the NSW Government who are overseeing the process of setting up a cashless gaming system in NSW.

Shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing Kevin Anderson said the Minns Labor Government is running the risk of losing public confidence over the efficacy of their trial into cashless gaming.

“There has been a lack of information from the Labor Government about the panel’s work and that’s causing concern from the community and the industry who are seeking confidence when it comes to privacy protections,” Mr Anderson said.

“The Minister needs to make the work of the panel public to restore confidence in process of moving to cashless gaming in NSW and must provide transparency on what the Government is doing to protect the privacy of trial participants.

“The Government needs to provide certainly that they have the issue under control and their trial has not been jeopardised.

“This is not the first time a cyber breach has occurred and while the hospitality industry is keen to proceed with a cashless gaming, this latest breach is a major setback and a clear reminder that more work needs to be done on privacy and data protection.

“The Minister must ensure that the cashless gaming trial protects all participants, or risk losing the public confidence in the government’s pokies plan.”