NSW treasurer refuses to say if $1,000 a day pokies spending cap is too high as he ridicules Labor policy

The New South Wales treasurer, Matt Kean, has refused to say whether he believes a $1,000 a day spending limit on poker machines is too high, as the Coalition government faces increasing pressure to release details of its highly anticipated cashless gaming card.

The premier, Dominic Perrottet, has repeatedly insisted the government will introduce cashless gaming in NSW if re-elected in March, but the Coalition is yet to release details of the policy.

A cabinet meeting on Monday did not include any detailed discussion of the cashless gaming card, and the government is wary of releasing the policy before winning over Nationals MPs nervous about the possibility of a backlash from the clubs lobby.

But the government is under increased pressure to unveil the policy after NSW Labor released its own reform plan this week. It included a mandatory trial of a card on 500 machines across the state, as well as reduced feed-in limits on new pokies.

The Guardian understands internal negotiations over the card have included possibly introducing a $1,000 spending limit, like the one imposed on casino operators as part of an overhaul of the sector pushed through parliament last year.

The Labor leader, Chris Minns, said the proposed trial would not include a spending cap, even while he criticised the government for not committing to one. Rather, he said, the expert panel set up to oversee the trial would be asked to consider whether a daily cap should be introduced if the trial is successful.