New Tax Increase for Victoria

Many are angered by the new poker machine tax increase that has been proposed. Victoria’s gaming giants have just been told that the government is planning on a $0.43 tax increase, and that the money is to be used to help hospital funding. They are estimating an additional $39 million a year from the machines.

Roughly two weeks before the state budget was announced, the treasurer, John Brumby, said that he was lifting the hospital levy on each of the currently 30,000 slot machines to $4333 from $3033. That means that there will be millions going toward hospital equipment and renovations from this fund.

He says that this would give the pblic access to more of the proceeds from the slot machines that they are not getting now. He says that they make so much money, that it is only fair that they share some of their large proceeds. He also said that this would be the last increase for them this political term.

He says that due to the cap in the number of slot machines, industry professionals make a lot of money. He says this way the public is not dipping into their pockets to fund these improvements. Originally the levy was $333 per slot machine, just 7 years ago. Then it increased to $1533 in 2001 and then to $3033 per slot machine in 2005.

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