Reported at www.theguardian.com: The New South Wales government has decided to abandon its commitment to remove 9,500 poker machines statewide, citing advice from an independent panel that indicated such a removal would not significantly impact gambling issues.

Gaming Minister David Harris stated that focusing on the intensity of play rather than the number of machines is more critical, and spending $60 million on a buyback scheme would be ineffective.

The Opposition has criticised the government for breaking an election promise and failing to effectively address problem gambling in the state.