Source : the age
A NSW Labor politician accepted thousands of dollars from a club with poker machines after the Minns government banned political donations from clubs involved in gambling.
Records show Campbelltown MP Greg Warren received donations from the NSW Harness Racing Club in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The payments were made at fundraising lunch events hosted for Warren, which have featured Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey.
Following questions from this masthead, Warren said he had accepted the money “in good faith” but he would refer the payments to the electoral watchdog for assessment.
NSW, which has more poker machines than any other state or territory, closed a donations law “loophole” in 2023 by expanding the definition of gambling entity to include not-for-profit clubs with an involvement in gambling.
“It is common sense,” Minns said at the time. “If other gambling entities are banned from making political donations, it should apply to all clubs.”
Soon after the ban took effect, Warren held a corporate lunch attended by Minns at which the NSW Harness Racing Club contributed $3000, electoral records show.
Warren recorded a $1500 donation from the club at a “Daniel Mookhey lunch” in 2024 and a further $1500 last year.
Trading as Club Menangle, the organisation operates a major racetrack south-west of Sydney, “home to the iconic Miracle Mile and the world’s richest harness race, The TAB Eureka”. It also runs the Menangle Country Club, which boasts an award-winning restaurant, picturesque garden and historic setting.
The venues have 50 poker machines, according to the most recent state records.
Each year, the club’s accounts record poker machine revenue and commissions received from Keno and TAB sales. But most revenue comes from “TAB and wagering distributions” received from betting operators for putting on the race events.
Registered clubs are banned from making political donations “if the business undertaken by the registered club includes wagering, betting, or other gambling”. It is a criminal offence to knowingly receive a prohibited donation.
Warren said the club had declared it was not prohibited.
“The donations were accepted in good faith with the required non-prohibited donor declaration, and were fully disclosed as per the required rules,” Warren said in a statement.
“I take the required obligations under the Electoral Funding Act seriously, and have therefore taken the appropriate action for the donations to be referred to the NSW Electoral Commission for review.”
Club chief executive Bruce Christison was unavailable to answer questions for medical reasons, a club spokeswoman said.
“The club has completed the political donations questionnaires honestly and transparently,” the spokeswoman said.
“To ensure there is not an issue with our eligibility, we have contacted the electoral commission this morning and supplied all the relevant details and are now awaiting their response.”
The NSW Electoral Commission declined to answer detailed questions, including whether the NSW Harness Racing Club met the definition of prohibited donor.
The premier has faced significant pressure from within his own party to curb the problem gambling harm caused by poker machines, this masthead revealed in May.
