The MP of Te Tai Tokerau has spoken of a radical plan to reduce gambling problems in New Zealand’s poorer communities… He believes that banning pokies altogether would be a simple way to eradicate the problem. Mr Hone Harawira thinks that the NZ$3.7m lost by gamblers in the Whangarei area, from April to June alone…

The Wairarapa Times-Age reports that as many as 500 people in the Wairarapa area could be problem gamblers – it based on the stat that 1.8% of Kiwis are reported to be problem gamblers. It’s an interesting figure, given that spending on lotteries, pokies and casinos have dropped in New Zealand over the past 12…

Originally Posted on Sunday Jun 12 16:37:00 BST 2011 An hotel proprietor in New Zealand has spoken up about the bad press pokies sometimes get. She said that the machines in the hotel were enjoyed by many people, usually as a way of relieving stress, but also by women who come out with their husbands…