Tourism gamble?: James Packer says Australia should invest in more casinos to attract middle class Chinese and boost tourism. Picture: Stuart McevoySource:Herald Sun
A pokies manufacturer with ties to James Packer's Crown Resorts has launched the first applications in Australia to roll out a revolutionary new style of poker machine — 'skill-based' gaming machines — aimed at attracting younger gamblers. James Packer's $2.4billion Crown casino in Sydney won't have a single pokie machine – as venue is forced to recruit punters from RSL clubs in the city's west after failing to lure Chinese high rollers Sydney's new $2billion Crown casino will not be allowed to include any pokies Crown's rival The Star signed deal with.
CROWN chairman James Packer has admitted he gets upset when people accuse him of making millions of dollars from gamblers' misery.
The billionaire businessman said while he had developed a fairly thick skin it was upsetting to be accused of profiting from others' gambling problems.
'I obviously do get upset at that,' Mr Packer told Fairfax Radio.
'It's not nice when people go to your character.'
The Crown boss said he'd prefer to argue the issues rather than the people.
He said casinos were his biggest business interest 'by far' and he was proud of that fact.
'I get my back up against the wall when people start spinning the line, 'Why are you peddling evil?' Mr Packer said.
'This perception that the only people that come to Crown are helpless victims and we are just sitting there preying on them - I reject that absolutely.'
A self-confessed gambler at the race track and blackjack table, he said that suggestion was spin from the 'latte set', but customers visited Crown Casino and Burswood Casino in Perth 'because they enjoy it'.
Mr Packer weighed into the pokies debate yesterday when he argued the Gillard Government's proposed betting limits wouldn't reduce problem gambling.
James Packer Pokies Images
In response, anti-pokies MP Andrew Wilkie said Crown's profits came at a terrible human cost, mentioning the suicide of one punter at Packer's Crown Casino in Melbourne after he 'blew the lot on the pokies'.
South Australian senator Nick Xenophon compared Mr Packer's stance on pokies reform to Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe's position on democracy.
James Packer Pokies Pictures
Mr Packer today said he was particularly disappointed Mr Wilkie raised the May suicide of the 45-year-old man in a hotel room the casino had provided to him for free.
He said Crown didn't want to fight the Gillard Government because 'we know if there's a fight we will lose'.
Rather, the company wanted a say in how problem gambling was tackled.
'The implementation has got to be right and that's what we hope we can have a small influence in,' Mr Packer said, adding that at a minimum Labor should trial mandatory pre-commitment before rolling it out nationally.
He said Crown didn't want to fight the Gillard Government because 'we know if there's a fight we will lose'.
Rather, the company wanted a say in how problem gambling was tackled.
'The implementation has got to be right and that's what we hope we can have a small influence in,' Mr Packer said, adding that at a minimum Labor should trial mandatory pre-commitment before rolling it out nationally.
James Packer Today
Mr Packer said the scheme would result in Asian tourists going to Macau, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia to avoid having to 'fill in forms' before playing the pokies.
But the 44-year-old isn't confident the Government will take up the suggestion of a trial.
'Is the Government listening to us?' he said today.
'The Government is trying to make sure they are there tomorrow.'
Originally published asPokie attacks upset me, admits hurt Packer