1968 Tasmanian casino referendum

The Tasmanian casino referendum was a one-question referendum held on 14 December 1968, which concerned the granting of Australia's first casino licence to the Federal Group to operate the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Sandy Bay.

Background

The Wrest Point Riviera hotel was purchased by the Federal Group in the 1960s, and the new owners approached Premier Eric Reece about the prospect of the Tasmanian government granting a licence to create an entertainment complex and convention centre that would contain a small casino on the premises,[1] citing that it would attract tourists during Tasmania's traditional winter "tourist slump". Reece agreed that a casino would be a tourism attraction in Tasmania, but as no casino licence had been granted in Australia before, the government called for a referendum to gauge public support for the issue.

With the vote on a knife's edge, it is alleged that the government deliberately proposed a question that was opaque. The question put to the people was:

Are you in favour of the provisions of "Wrest Point Casino Licence and Development Act, 1968", the full text of which has been published in the newspapers?"[2]

Vote on the bill

Despite having a vote on the bill scheduled in December, and with the campaigning already underway, the state Labor government, realising they had the numbers on the floor of the parliament, brought the bill to a vote on October 4, 1968, more than two months prior to the vote.[3]

In effect, the electorate was being asked to vote on a bill that had already been passed.

Results
SeatEnrolledValid votesYesNo
Bass40,47234,989 (86.45%)16,622 (47.51%)18,367 (52.49%)
Braddon42,42037,189 (87.67%)18,453 (49.62%)18,736 (50.38%)
Denison43,52938,814 (89.17%)22,407 (57.73%)16,407 (42.27%)
Franklin38,24834,838 (91.08%)20,856 (59.87%)13,982 (40.13%)
Wilmot41,47536,871 (88.90%)18,501 (50.18%)18,370 (49.82%)
Total206,144182,70196,839 (53.00%)85,862 (47.00%)

Summary
  • Yes: 96,839 (53%); No: 85,862 (47%)[4]
  • Turnout: 92.67%
  • Informal votes: 8,339

Aftermath

The referendum passed by a margin of 6%, although the bill had already passed in October that year, granting the licence to the Federal Group. There was considerable opposition to the casino, and concern over the fact that a monopoly licence was awarded to Federal Hotels without any call for a tender.[5]

The Wrest Point Hotel Casino was completed and opened in 1973.

In 1985, the casino introduced poker machines, to much opposition. The pokies have since spread around the state.[1]

See also

References
  1. patrickw@themonthly.com.au (2017-03-01). "Tasmania got gamed". The Monthly. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  2. Boyce, James (2017-03-14). Losing Streak: How Tasmania Was Gamed By The Gambling Industry. Black Inc. ISBN 9781863959100.
  3. Boyce, James (2017-03-14). Losing Streak: How Tasmania Was Gamed By The Gambling Industry. Black Inc. ISBN 9781863959100.
  4. Referendums in Tasmania, Parliament of Tasmania, 5 August 2002.
  5. Hsu, Cathy (2005). Casino Industry in Asia Pacific: Development, Operation, and Impact. Philadelphia: Haworth Press. p. 162. ISBN 0-7890-2346-6.
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