Pokies tax plan not popular with voters

 David Killick | Mercury Newspaper | 16 August 2021  

THE overwhelming majority of Tasmanians believe poker machines should be taxed at the same rate regardless of whether they are in pubs, clubs or casinos, new polling shows.

Pollster EMRS surveyed 1000 Tasmanians about their attitude towards proposed changes to gambling tax rates. It was released by independent MLC Meg Webb.

Under proposed changes announced by the state government in July, the new tax rates for casino poker machines will fall from 25.88 per cent to 13.91 per cent of turnover after the passage of legislative reforms.

Hotel poker machine tax will rise from 25.88 per cent to 33.91 and club pokies tax rates will rise from 25.88 to 32.91 per cent.

Ms Webb said 81 per cent of those surveyed said the tax rate should be the same regardless of venue. And 73 per cent backed the lowering of bet limits from $5 to $1.

“This polling shows that four in five Liberal voters and four in five Labor voters think casino poker machines should be taxed at the same rate as hotel poker machines,” Ms Webb said.

“Crucially, 71 per cent of Liberal voters and 71 per cent of Labor voters support lowering maximum bets to $1.

“Eight in 10 Liberal voters and nine in 10 Labor voters think licensing changes to poker machines should include consumer protection and harm minimisation.”

Consultation on the second stage of the government’s reform proposals ended on August 9.

The proposals were central to policy debate during the 2018 state election, where Labor fought a losing campaign based on a ban on pokies in pubs and clubs.

The party subsequently abandoned the policy.

Ms Webb said the government was heading in a direction completely at odds with the views of the vast majority of Tasmanians

“We already know from expert advice and independent modelling that the government’s policy fails to provide the best option for our state financially or socially – now we also know it conflicts with what Tasmanians want,” she said.

“This consistent agreement in the community across political lines is reflected in the financial support provided to undertake this polling, which included contributions from both Sir Max Bingham, former Liberal deputy premier and Attorney-General of Tasmania, and Tim Jacobson, state secretary of HACSU.

“The Tasmanian people think the government have got it wrong on key components of this reform.”

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Read more about the ERMS poll here