Tasmanian gambling bill set to become law
Tasmania’s Gaming Control Amendment will become law after approval from the House of Assembly.
Australia.- Proposed amendments to Tasmanian gambling legislation look set to become law, spelling the end for Federal Group casino’s exclusive licence agreement. The bill supported by the Liberal government and Labor opposition received eight affirmative votes against five negatives at the House of Assembly.
The proposed changes include the introduction of individual operating licences for electronic gaming machines hosted in brick-and-mortar venues and new tax rates on gaming revenue in the state.
One of the MPs who voted against the bill, the independent Meg Webb claimed the bill “has been literally written by the gambling industry.” Using a Right to Information request, Webb discovered that Federal Group and the Tasmanian Government had shaken hands on casino tax rates before the 2021 general election but decided to keep the agreement secret.
Independent MLCs Ruth Forrest also voted against the bill, telling ABC News: “A well-regulated monopoly would have been a better proposition.”
However, deputy premier Jeremy Rockliff said :”The Government believes it does strike the right balance and it’s important also that there is harm minimisation work that needs to be done as well.”
He added: “We recognise we need to support people with a gambling addiction. I want to ensure that we have the right programs that are accessible in place, I want to ensure there are campaigns to discourage gambling and gambling addiction.”
