GTH pokie promise in a spin: Opposition
OPPOSITION leader Deb Frecklington’s money is on Tourism Minister Kate Jones breaking a promise not to increase pokies for a Gold Coast global tourism hub (GTH).
The Queensland Labor Government has been sounding out Coast clubs about their appetite for selling poker machines for use by any incoming GTH and second casino operator.
The revelation was in a Clubs Queensland letter – leaked to the Bulletin this week – and claimed the State Governement wanted 1600 machines.
Clubs Queensland CEO Doug Flockhart said he doubted many would be available within the Gold Coast meaning the State Government would have to bring them in from outside.
Ms Frecklington said yesterday: “No matter how you spin it, (Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk is using taxpayers’ money to buy pokies for Labor’s second casino on the Gold Coast.
“It is clear Labor’s Kate Jones is breaking her promise and will increase pokie numbers on the Coast.
“The community does not want Palaszczuk’s pokie palace on the Gold Coast.”
Opposition policy wonks say their understanding is surf clubs, bowls clubs and RSLs being sounded out can’t sell direct to a casino operator. The Governenment would have to buy pokie allocation to then onsell to a GTH operator.
But Ms Jones, who has vowed not to break her promise, shot right back at Ms Frecklington, labelling her spray “utter crap”.
“Don’t forget it was Deb Frecklington who wanted to build a new casino on The Spit with 2500 poker machines and no cap for the Gold Coast,” Ms Jones said.
Mr Flockhart, whose body is an association of Gold Coast not-for-profit clubs with pokies, said any sell-off of gaming machines for a private GTH would cost a “premium”.
Mr Flockhart said surf clubs and RSLs were notfor-profit operations but would not be selling their pokie entitlements to private enterprise at not-forprofit prices.
“If it was to come to pass that they were looking to secure them from our pool it would not be at not-forprofit prices. It needs to be at a premium. That’s fair isn’t it?
“You are robbing the poor to give to the rich frankly. You want fairness in that process.”
He said individual gaming machines sold for up to $300,000 on the private market but the going rate was about half that.
In a bombshell email by Mr Flockhart – published in the Bulletin on Monday – he told clubs the State Government had begun talks to assess the appetite of clubs for selling off pokie entitlements for a GTH.
If 1600 were needed at current prices of $140,000 each, that would be a total bill of $224 million for pokies required for a GTH.
THE Labor State Government and Tourism Minister Kate Jones are increasingly looking backed into a corner in regards to her ‘no more pokies’ promise for the Gold Coast as it explores another gaming resort.
Revelations in the Bulletin on Monday that a bombshell Clubs Queensland letter told members State Government was quietly “taking the temperature” from club and RSL operators about their appetite for selling off pokie machine allocation, was curious on several fronts.
One, Clubs Queensland told members the State Government was asking for about 1600 machines for a Gold Coast global tourism hub, a figure that has never before been officially acknowledged. Though gaming industry insiders have maintained any rival casino would have to have 1600 pokies to be viable. The second is Clubs Queensland CEO Doug Flockhart’s belief to get 1600 machines the State Government would have to go outside the Gold Coast and bring them in from statewide.
It has prompted Opposition leader Deb Frecklington to wonder how Ms Jones can keep a straight face when continuing to maintain she won’t increase Gold Coast pokie numbers for a GTH.
As it stands, there are just over 6000 machines the Coast. Watch that number closely.