The Victorian government’s proposal for an increase on poker machine taxes was a controversial mood, but politicians insisted that it would benefit the community. Now, there has been enough backlash from opponents that the Napthine government has finally been forced to withdraw the bill.

The movement against the bill was started by poker machine club owners, but it gained momentum when MP Geoff Shaw spoke out against the new tax increase. He argued that many clubs would be forced to shut down if the bill was introduced, and the gaming industry stood behind him.

The bill that was presented by the Napthine government would have required clubs in mid- and high tax brackets to pay upwards of 35% on their pokie profits. The government would have reaped $287 million from the increase, but some politicians were concerned that it would cause more harm to the gaming industry than it would be worth.

Labour has called the bill a ‘tax grab’, but responsible gambling advocates support the tax increase. Paul Bendat, who has spent thousands of dollars out of his own pocket to promote responsible gambling, has stated that Labour has prioritized club finances over the needs of the local community. The Napthine government will present the bill again shortly.

Treasure Michael O’Brien states that the tax increase will certainly benefit the local community and hopes that local MPs will support the bill the next time around. “This bill corrects an error that was made by the former Labor government,” says Mr O’Brien. “When Labor sold off the pokies and they lost $3 billion in the process, they also set tax rates that were too low to actually recover the amount of tax that the public was expecting to get”.

When the bill is presented again, there will be a fierce debate on the topic. OnlinePokies4U will provide updates as the story develops.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.