Crown's win at tables facing growing opposition, by David Rood - The Age - 15th May 2009

A deal to increase the number of gaming tables at Crown Casino by more than 40 per cent could be blocked by Opposition parties in the state's upper house.

The casino deal, which allows Crown to add an extra 150 gambling tables in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, requires amendments to casino laws.

But the Opposition, Greens and DLP have left open the option of blocking changes.

Opposition gaming spokesman Michael O'Brien said the deal was made in secret, and blocking the changes was "on the table".

"We are not convinced, at this stage, that expansion of gambling is going to be in the taxpayers' or the community's interest," Mr O'Brien said.

The Greens' Colleen Hartland said the Government had "no guarantees that the legislation will be passed".

The DLP's Peter Kavanagh said he was not enthusiastic about the changes, saying there were already enough avenues for people to gamble. "I really don't think we need more gambling," he said.

The manoeuvring comes as Premier John Brumby and Crown's executive chairman, James Packer, said they did not discuss the deal at a meeting at the Melbourne Grand Prix in March.

After initially refusing to say whether they discussed the deal at the Government's corporate suite, Mr Brumby said yesterday it was not raised.

"It is a ludicrous proposition to say that I would sit down in a room full of people at a Grand Prix, in front of everybody, and discuss matters that are for the Treasurer or the Gaming Minister," he said.

Asked if he had discussed the Crown deal with Mr Packer at any other meeting, Mr Brumby said: "I didn't have any other meetings with him."

In a rare media statement, Mr Packer said: "The tax arrangements at Crown Melbourne were not discussed."

The Crown deal, which will see taxes on poker machines at Crown increase from 22.25 per cent to 32.57 per cent in exchange for the extra tables, has also angered the anti-gambling lobby.

Mr O'Brien said Mr Brumby should say whether the deal was instigated by the Government or Crown. "This is a deal conceived in secret to massively expand the level of gambling … at Victoria's monopoly casino."

A Government spokesman would not say last night who instigated the discussions, only that talks began in April.

Mr Brumby said the Government was committed to helping problem gamblers with measures such as a cap on the number of pokies, which evidence showed were more addictive than any other form of gambling. (Credit: The Age)

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