Giving gamblers access to cash inside South Australia’s pokie lounges will let gaming staff keep an eye on problem gamblers, the state government says.

Gamblers will be able to use Eftpos machines inside pokie lounges in hotels and clubs – instead of having to leave supervised gaming areas to withdraw cash – under legislation passed by parliament on Tuesday night.

“With Eftpos machines, there’s a level of human interaction,” police minister Tony Piccolo told reporters on Wednesday.

“In venues, there are people trained to deal with problem gamblers and we think this is an effective way to help stop people from drawing out more money than they should.”