On this day in 1995, Paul Osborne, an independent MLA, planned to vote against the ACT budget that allowed the Canberra casino to have poker machines. There were also calls for the treasurer, Kate Carnell, not to renege on promises made operating poker machines in the Canberra casino.
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The casino and Australian Hotel Association requested the government vary the poker machines restrictions laws in the ACT. Under the existing rules back then, the casino was prevented from having poker machines and the hotels and taverns were regulated. In the previous year, an auditor-general's report stated the ACT had the second-lowest tax rate on poker machine revenue. An increase could raise about $5.6 million yearly.
Carnell stated no decision had been made on both the possible tax increases on poker machine revenue and the hotels' and casino's proposal. She did, however, state she was looking at ways to increase revenue to deal with the $80 million deficit.
![The front page of the paper on this day in 1995. The front page of the paper on this day in 1995.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/232169359/e07697a6-7564-4cba-8ede-7ed67a6226d2.png/r0_0_902_1260_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)