The government of the Australian state of Victoria has decided to allow the definition of gaming tables to be changed. Crown Casino in Melbourne will be able to install up to 50 electronic roulettes and baccarats under the new ‘fully automated table games’ reclassification, with as many as 200 individual terminals. The machines were prohibited previously as they were classified as electronic gaming machines. Crown will increase its number of table games to 400 from 350, the biggest increase for over ten years.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation has agreed that fully automated table games in future will be regarded as table games although there has been some opposition to the move. Other Australian states such as New South Wales consider that each terminal of a multi-station machine is an electronic gaming machine. The Victorian opposition gaming spokesmen has said the reclassification seems to be an expansion in gaming machines by another name. Crown presently has 2,500 ‘pokies’, as electronic gaming machines are widely known in Australia.

Over the next four years Crown will pay an extra A$133 million in taxes – casino taxes go towards public healthcare in the state. John Brumby, Premier of Victoria since 2007, has supported casino expansion in the state. He ended the Tabcorp/Tattersalls monopoly on gaming machines outside casinos so that as soon as their licence expires clubs and hotels will be able to apply to own their own machines. (E-09.16.09)

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