By: Barry Soper | Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:07 AM

State Homie John Key likes to use the term New Zealand Inc.

Having made his own mega millions out of the money markets as a wheeler dealer he clearly likes to cut a deal because we now discover it was his idea to offer pokies for a pleasure palace.

The fine print on the offer's now being worked on where Sky City in Auckuoloafa gets more pokie machines if it agrees to build a convention centre which we're told the city desperately needs.

It's led to howls of indignation from the anti gambling lobby who say it'll increase problem gambling.

Labour says it effectively means our law's for sale because the law controlling the number of one arm bandits will have to be changed.

The Kermits are turning a deeper shade of green saying it'll lead to gangsters using the pokies to launder money.

Can't understand why Sky City wants more pokie machines anyway because whenever I've been into the gambling den there always seem to be rows of vacant machines, which is in fact what you have to be to play them in the first place.

It's true the law's being changed to increase the number of machines they're allowed to have and it's also true that's being done in return for the convention centre. It begs the question though that without more pokies would Sky City have built the centre anyway, given that that's bound to be a money spinner for the big buck business.

But it's the claim of money laundering that's a little difficult to fathom. To launder money there's got to be a sure fire return, and on the law of pokie machine averages the bandit wins every time.

The money may be dirty when it does in but pokies like filthy lucre and they have a habit of gobbling it up and a totally ineffective washing machines. The only thing left dry at the end of it is the punters' pockets.

But all of this begs the question should The Homie be personally striking deals with business in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink, kind of way and relegating the law to 30 pieces of silver?

Depends on whether he sees himself as a politician or someone running NZ Inc!