HYPOCRITICAL LIBERALS SLAM ALP DECISION TO APPROVE MORE GAMBLING TABLES DESPITE THE FACT THAT LIBERAL NAZI JEFF KENNET LEGALISED THEM TO BEGIN WITH

Brumby slammed for problem gambling comments by opposition
Article from: Herald Sun

Matt Johnston, AAP

September 08, 2009 06:53am

UPDATE 11.23am: THE Opposition says the Premier is "dangerously ignorant" of problem gambling after more Crown tables were approved.

John Brumby says more tables at Crown Casino will not impact on problem gambling, before the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation even looks into the social and economic impact of more tables.

The Government has been forced to seek more advice on the impacts of its deal with Crown Casino that will give the gambling giant 150 more tables.

“If you look at problem gambling, problem gambling is linked to gaming machines,” Mr Brumby said.

“There’s little, if any, link between table gaming and problem gambling.”

But Shadow Minister for Gaming Michael O’Brien described the failure to conduct an impact study before approving the extra tables as "inexcusable".

"This work should have been completed and assessed before any deal was concluded,” Mr O’Brien said today.

“The Victorian community deserves to know what effect this gambling expansion will have on problem gambling. What is frightening is John Brumby’s ignorance of the link between problem gambling and casino games.

“John Brumby was in such a rush to conclude his secret deal with the casino that the public interest has been left for dead."

Mr Brumby said more tables was a good move for the state, and rebuffed questions as to why a study into social and economic impacts was not done before laws were introduced to Parliament.

“This is the right call for the state, it’s the right call for the state because it means $132 million extra for the health system.

“I think it’s a good outcome (but) we are happy to provide more advice.

“All this arrangement with the casino does is brings the number of tables in line with the sort of population and economic growth in Victoria since the mid-1990s.”

Mr Brumby told 3AW radio the VCGR took a strong view about gaming machines, knocking back a number of venues' applications for more poker machines in recent years, but held a different opinion of gaming tables.

"But they take a different view about the table games and they take a different view because there is little or no evidence that links table games with problem gambling, he said.

"Problem gambling is linked to gaming machines, it is not linked to gaming tables.''

Mr Brumby said that view was put to state Cabinet before it made the decision to approve the extra Crown Casino gaming tables.

But the government has now been forced to ask the VCGR to assess the social and economic impact of the deal, which will net the government $132 million over four years, to get it through parliament.

Opposition parties in the Victorian upper house have threatened to block legislation until the effects of the deal, the largest expansion of Crown in 10 years, are evaluated.

As a result, the government has asked the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation to conduct a social and economic impact study to assess the deal, Fairfax reported.

As well as the new tables, tax rates on Crown's 2500 poker machines would be increased from 25 per cent to 32 per cent of players' gaming losses, but would be locked in until 2022.

Three VCGR officers have been assigned to the task, the newspaper said.

VCGR executive commissioner Peter Cohen said he was asked "a few weeks ago" to conduct the study.

"We're also looking at tax revenue projections for (the) government,'' he said.

The agreement, announced in May, raised questions about contact between Premier John Brumby, Treasurer John Lenders and Crown's owner, businessman James Packer.

Opposition gaming spokesman Michael O'Brien said: "This should have informed the government's decision whether or not to enter into the deal. Instead it's being done after the event to try and secure parliamentary support"

Gaming Minister Tony Robinson said he ordered the report "after it became clear that a report would be necessary to secure the bill's passage through parliament".