The Premier of Australia’s state of New South Wales is facing opposition over his stance on reducing the number of slots in bars and public areas.
The politician is pushing to move the machines to a cashless scenario, improving oversight and taxation, while also aiming to reduce problem gambling.
The premier, Dominic Peroottet has recently come out with statements against the former New South Wales premier, Bob Carr, proclaiming that the rise in pokie machines across Sydney was predicated by the former politician.
His push for cashless gaming retooling is now a significant part of his re-election platform.
Speaking on the issue, Perrottet commented that the former Labor premier “left our state with a $30 billion infrastructure backlog and put pokie machines on every street corner. We’re still cleaning up his mess”.
The current premier noted that the state now has “more pokie machines […] than anywhere outside of Nevada”, according to media.
Carr was premier in 1997, when the state government authorized pokie machines in pubs.
The new premier is now vowing to mandate cashless pokies across the state, a move which has irked industry representatives, but that he’s sticking to as he faces a March state election.
“The policy is cashless gaming in NSW. That is the policy, and we’re working through matters around that, and we’ll be close to having something to say about that soon,” he said, according to the Brisbane Times.
