WATCH: Sam Frost Makes #CasinoMike Squirm Over Double Standards On Lockouts

Sam laid out her theory – and everyone else in Sydney’s – as to why the exemptions are in place:

“I’ve got a little theory: I think that The Star Casino and Barangaroo pay the government a lot of money […] [So] once you close down everything else you’ve got no other choice but to go to The Star or Barangaroo, and they make more money and then you make more money as the government… that’s what I think is happening.”

It’s pretty clear that Baird doesn’t really have much of a planned response to those allegations – which is kinda weird, because that’s all people are talking about. He responds:

“Well, um, it’s not Sam. I can tell you this: I’ve met with the families who have lost kids to violence in the streets […] those that know me, know my motivations, and they’re not that. If part of this review says it needs to be expanded to include casinos, then of course I’ll be open to that.”

Maybe it’s a little off that despite this being the biggest critique levelled against Baird re: the lockouts – even by those who broadly support them – he doesn’t have a real response, and seems to stumble over the allegation.

The rest of the interview follows Baird’s usual line on this stuff: safety is paramount, the only solution to violence is the lockouts. “We wanna get it right,” Baird says. He says he wants to understand the business impact and the impact on nightlife. 

Regardless, he makes broad statements about the bipartisan success of lockouts in California. So it’s pretty clear where he stands on them.

Watch the interview here: