The High Stakes Game of Concessions and Hypocrisy Recent revelations about government concessions to clubs and hotels in New South Wales highlight a fundamental conflict of interest between policymakers and the people they serve.
Governments publicly condemn the social harm caused by poker machines while quietly relying on gambling losses as a form of voluntary taxation. This hypocrisy extends beyond gaming laws.
In housing, governments lament declining affordability while collecting billions from stamp duty, land tax, and other property taxes that rise with house prices.