"RANN’S POKIE BUY-BACK WILL TAKE 38 YEARS"- KERIN

The Rann Government’s gaming machine buy-back is failing and it will take 38 years to achieve the government’s target of 3,000 fewer machines, according to the S.A. Opposition Leader.

Mr Kerin said the latest trading round for machines, that took place today (September 21), had resulted in just seven extra machines being removed from gambling venues. “The Rann Government’s hypocrisy on poker machines has been reinforced again ,” Mr Kerin said.

The Liberals claim that at the rate of three trading rounds per year (21 machines) it will take until around 2043 to remove the 798 machines still needed to reach the 3,000 machine target announced by the government in February 2004.

“Meanwhile the State Government will collect an extra $20 million in poker machine revenue each year until 2006-07, despite the buy-back scheme" Mr Kerin said.

He added that “The Opposition has been adamant that the removal of 3,000 machines will have little if any impact on the real problem namely, gambling addiction."