Iemma won't rule out upping pokie hours

Australia -- NSW Premier Morris Iemma has refused to rule out reducing the no-play period for poker machines to less than six hours a day

Pubs and clubs are currently required to switch off pokies between 4am and 10am, but Sydney's Star City casino is allowed to operate them 24 hours a day.

Mr Iemma said the government had commissioned a review of poker machine operations, which had been running for some time.

"If I'm now going to provide you with a running commentary of ruling this in, that out, what's the point in commissioning the work and allowing it to be done?" Mr Iemma told reporters.

"There'd have to be pretty powerful evidence, a pretty persuasive case, to reduce it, and I've not seen any to date."

He said he would examine the evidence after a review of the entire operation of the Gaming Act, and after research had been completed.

The review was unrelated to sensitive casino licence negotiations which were underway between the NSW government and the current Star City casino operator, Mr Iemma said
Sydney Morning Herald

News Added: 27 September, 2007

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