Pokies and Slot Machine Information

NSW wins extra $1billion on the pokies

March 27, 2006 on 10:42 am | In Slot machine articles online |

The Australian State of New South Wales has finally won its tax increase on pokies turnover. The increase is less than the NSW government wanted, but it can put the bitter fight with NSW clubs behind it and is still $1billion better off over seven years than it would have been if it didn’t press for any increases.

“The pokies dispute began in June 2003 when, under then-premier Bob Carr and his treasurer Michael Egan, the Government announced tax increases that included lifting the top rate from 26.25 per cent to 49.09 per cent.”

Daily Telegraph Article

Possibly the strongest reason for the government to cave in:

“ClubsNSW had started to run advertisements at NRL games telling families what sort of impact the tax was going to have. The organisation had planned to run an extensive campaign against the Government in the state election next March, including targeting marginal seats.”

As is the case in most Australian States, governments have an ever larger hand in the pocket of pokies players. The extra tax has to come from somewhere - players in that state can expect to have even emptier wallets than usual.