Smoking Ban Hurts Poker Machines

According to numbers from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing turnover on poker machines dropped by around 20 percent in March in hotels, and some are pointing their fingers at the ban on smoking indoors as the culprit. Some are predicting "catastrophic consequences" for the poker machine industry thanks to the ban. The figures further show a steady drop in poker machine play during the time from July of 2007 (when the poker ban was kicked off at 100%) through February. Club revenue from poker machines in March of this year was $230 million, compared to the same month last year when it was at $295 million.