The Northern Territory's Gaming Minister has been accused of "sitting on the fence" over a plan to rollout dozens of new poker machines in the Central Australian town of Alice Springs.
Hospitality giant Iris Capital has applications in for 60 new pokies to be installed in pubs and hotels across the outback town, including in multiple venues where there were previously none.
The pokies would add to more than 100 new gaming machines that the firm has installed at Lasseters Casino since it took over the running of the Alice Springs venue last year.
The latest move has sparked backlash in the township from community members who say, if the company is successful in its bid, it will disproportionately affect some of the region's most vulnerable residents.
Attorney General Chansey Paech, the only Northern Territory Government minister from Alice Springs, wouldn't directly answer if he held concerns over the pokies plan.
"It would be inappropriate for myself to make comments on that given that the application has the potential for an appeal," Mr Paech said.
"I don't want to be seen to be influencing the decision either way.
"I do, however, encourage people in Central Australia to make sure that they jump online [to the application process] and have their say."
Mr Paech said the decision on whether or not to approve Iris's applications rested with the territory's Director of Gaming Machines, who, the government said, operates at an arm's length from cabinet.
It comes as the NT Government on Monday released a number of changes to its Code of Practice for Responsible Gambling, including better signage and marking in gaming areas.
It publicly released the changes on the same day as one of the Iris Capital applications closed for submissions.
Pokies a political 'hot potato'
Independent Alice Springs politician Robyn Lambley accused Mr Paech of "sitting on the fence" over the pokies plan.
"He's the minister, the buck stops with him, and any decisions that are made about poker machines are ultimately his responsibility," she said.
"Poker machines have always been a political issue, a hot potato.
"Chansey doesn't want to commit either way – obviously there's probably not a lot of votes for him to come out and say that he supports the poker machines, and vice versa.
"I just can't buy that he's abrogated his responsibility as minister here."
'People can sit at home and bet online'
Mrs Lambley said she believed the new poker machines would exacerbate the difficult social problems already faced by the township, including high rates of poverty, alcohol abuse and violence.
The NT's hospitality industry peak body on Monday renewed its support for Iris's applications.
"There's a lot of problem gambling that goes on in unregulated community card game houses, in the streets, in the public parks," said Alex Bruce, the chief executive of Hospitality NT.
"People can sit at home and bet online and lose their house – we never see any focus on that, it's always on the pub with the light on."
In the NT, individual venues have caps on how many pokies they're allowed to install, however, no such caps exist in the NT's two licensed casinos – Lasseters and Mindil Beach Casino in Darwin.
Iris Capital has been approached for comment.
