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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (1 July) . . Page.. 1934 ..


MS CARNELL

(continuing):

Mister Speaker, Section 4 of the Gaming and Racing Control Bill 1998 identifies 12 Acts relating to the control and regulation of gambling and racing in the Territory, as "gaming laws". The Gambling and Racing Control (Consequential Provisions) Bill 1999, amends those gaming laws, where necessary, to enable the Commission to exercise

relevant powers and functions of the gaming laws - to properly control, administer, regulate and coordinate all aspects of gambling and racing in the Territory.

Broadly, the Consequential Bill amends the gaming laws and replaces relevant references to the Minister, the Casino Surveillance Authority or the Commissioner for ACT Revenue with references to the Commission. Currently, many of these functions are exercised administratively and powers are delegated to ACT Government Service officers.

Further, the Consequential Bill also:-

repeals Part 3 of the Casino Control Act 1988 which establishes the Casino Surveillance Authority - the Authority will be abolished and its activities subsumed into the Commission;

repeals Part 3 of the Gaming Machine Act 1987 which provides for inquiries to be conducted by the Commissioner -the inquiry powers and function are provided to the Commission under the Gaming and Racing Control Bill 1998;

provides that the Commission will assume all assets and liabilities of the Casino Surveillance Authority - to ensure continuity of financial management;

and amends a number of Acts to extend references to tax laws to also include references to gaming laws.

Mister Speaker, whilst the Consequential Bill empowers the Commission to assume many functions currently undertaken administratively, there are important Ministerial powers in the gaming laws which have been protected.

Among others, these include:-

powers relating to the designation of the location of the Casino;

the granting, suspension or cancellation of the Casino licence, under the Casino Control Act 1988;

the power to determine fees under gaming laws; and

the power to determine the number of sports betting licenses granted under the Bookmakers Act 1985.


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