Key points:
- NSW Premier confirms no legal change for Crown Sydney to install pokies
- Audit Office criticises lack of gambling harm reduction strategy
- NSW hosts nearly 88,000 poker machines, triple the rate of Victoria
NSW Premier Chris Minns has firmly rejected any legislative amendment that would allow Crown Resorts to operate poker machines at its Barangaroo casino in Sydney. As reported by The Australian Financial Review, the decision comes amid renewed scrutiny following an Audit Office report and speculation surrounding discussions with the state's Gaming Minister.
Crown’s earlier request to install pokies as a means to counter high-roller revenue shortfalls had already been dismissed. However, a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald claimed a more positive tone from a recent meeting between Crown and NSW Gaming Minister David Harris.
Minns was quick to quash the speculation. “The government is not going to move legislation to allow poker machines at Crown casino,” he told the media. He added that the current restriction has stood for over a decade and would not be overturned under his leadership.
Good to know: Crown’s Sydney site remains the only major casino in NSW without poker machines, a condition originally imposed to limit gambling harm in the state
The controversy coincides with findings from the Audit Office of NSW, which criticised regulatory bodies for failing to effectively support harm minimisation. The report noted that the state's strategy is not informed by up-to-date data on gambling harm and lacks concrete targets for harm reduction.
The Audit Office noted that, even with an average annual reduction of around 600 machines, it would take over 55 years for NSW to reach the national average per capita machine ratio.
