have since been raised about how the legislation was passed, with one member of parliament, Kevin Lyons, suspected of accepting bribes over the licence. Development The development of the casino included the construction of the 17-storey hotel tower, with a revolving restaurant, designed by Sir Roy Grounds, a landmark that is nationally identified with Hobart, and the 64-metre dodecagonal prism tower remains the city's tallest building. After the centre's opening in 1973 (after which it was known as Wrest Point Hotel Casino) the casino provided a catalyst for the nation's casino industry, with 12 additional casinos opening across the country. This included a second Federal Group casino in Tasmania, the Country Club Casino, which opened in Launceston in 1982. The building has been extended in recent years, including the conference centre which was opened in 1984, and the boardwalk in 1996. Wrest Point underwent an extensive multi-year redevelopment that began in 2018, including new restaurants, gaming areas, and the refurbishment of accommodation. Controversy While initially the hotel was supposed to be an entertainment complex, the casino soon took over much of the hotel; and, while the poker machines were initially not permitted, by executing successful lobbying, they now come to dominate the complex, with over 650 machines. The owners of the hotel and the poker machines, Federal Hotels, were fined on a number of occasions for poker machines that were not functioning as programmed, and were thus in breach of the law. In 2017, the building was protected with a heritage listing. While some saw this as significant, the decision "angered local residents and puzzled some experts." 2018 Tasmanian election In the 2018 election, the opposition leader, Rebecca White, promised to remove all pokies from pubs and clubs, leaving the two casinos as the only location for pokies in the state, citing the negative health and economic impacts of poker machines. The Federal Group, who own both the casinos and the pokies licences have opposed the policy as have the Liberal government. Gallery See also 1968 Tasmanian casino referendum Federal Group List of tallest buildings in Hobart References External links Wrest Point Hotel Casino official site Tourism Tasmania article Hotel buildings completed in 1939 Casinos completed in 1973 Hotel buildings completed in 1973 Landmarks in Hobart Hotels in Hobart Restaurants in Hobart Casinos in Australia Buildings and structures with revolving restaurants Culture in Hobart Tourist attractions in Hobart Casino hotels