Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne says that the ‘public discussion document gives the public a chance to have their say’. It is the next step in the New Zealand government’s review of existing gambling laws, which ultimately aims to improve the way in which pokie funding is distributed in order to better benefit the local community.

Members of the community can read the discussion document here. Submissions can be made, which will be considered by government officials and discussed by key stakeholders, such as commercial venues, problem gambling service provides, grant recipients and societies.

“We will be looking at proposals to future-proof that funding,” Mr Dunne says. “This discussion document is an opportunity for the community to let the Government know what they think are the challenges faced by the sector, and how to ensure that we get the maximum benefit from class 4 gambling, without growing gambling and minimising harm”.

Submissions to the Department of Internal Affairs is due by Friday, August 12, 2016. You can email your submission to [email protected], or you can send it by post to:

Safer Communities Team
Policy Group
Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 805
Wellington 6140

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The film Broke was directed by Heath Davis and stars Steve Le Marquand as Ben Kelly, a former champion footballer who has turned to gambling and is struggling to get by. The film has received plenty of praise from film critics around the world, and local responsible gambling advocates applaud Broke for its honesty in depicting gambling addiction among athletes.

It helps to bring attention to the issue and lets problem gamblers know that they are not alone. Many problem gamblers refuse to come forward and seek help because it is viewed less sympathetically than other addictions. It is important for people who have been affected by gambling harm to feel comfortable with coming forward so that they can get the help necessary to kick their addiction.

“It’s good to get it out in the open as it breaks down stigma and barriers to help-seeking,” says PGF Communications Director Andree Froude. “Gambling harm can happen to anyone, even to those we idolise. Sport players are people at the end of the day.”

A special screening of the film will be hosted by the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF), the New Zealand Rugby League and the League 4 Life Foundation on 1 June. It will take place at 6pm at the Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket. Tickets are just $11 and $1 from each ticket sale will be donated to the League 4 Life Foundation.

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“The Green Party intends to implement sensible and pragmatic measures that reassert the role of public health as the primary driver of gambling regulation, rather than economic development and convention centres,” says Greens Co-Leader Metiria Turei.

One of the proposed measures is the introduction of pre-commitment cards. Since there will be 230 new pokies at the casino, The Greens believe that pre-commitment cards would help poker machine players limit their spending. Players can set limits before they begin playing, and they will receive regular updates on their spending before being locked out once they have exceeded their budgets.

The Greens are confident that this measure would be effective but Mr Key is not convinced. He has spoken out against pre-commitment cards, starting that the measure would discourage players from visiting the casino altogether. There will certainly be a fierce debate on the issue, as we are certain that The Greens will not give up easily.

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From 7am to 6pm on Monday, October 14th, a life-sized casino made of cardboard will be located in the square. It will consist of 510 pokies, the total number of games that will exist in SkyCity Auckland if the convention centre deal is passed. The Greens encourage residents to visit the casino and write a message on the cardboard voicing their concerns to the government.

The idea of the protest is to show residents the scale of the SkyCity’s potential expansion. The gambling operator will be receiving an additional 230 pokies, and The Greens argue that this is the size of the average casino.

“SkyCity gets a whole new casino without having to go through any of the regulatory process required in law to set up a new casino,” says Greens co-leader Metiria Turei. “We want to show New Zealanders the scale of what the Government has gifted to SkyCity”.

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Shortly after Mr Flavell presented his bill, it was amended by a select committee. According to responsible gambling groups across the country, the ‘watered down’ bill was hardly recognizable, and they asked the author to withdraw it – but Flavell persisted.

“It is a bittersweet moment for me. When I think back to where we came from and the original intent of the bill, of course I am disappointed,” he says. “But, I have chosen to pursue change, and in my view this bill represents a small step in the right direction.”
The Harm Minimisation Bill will changed the way in which poker machines are regulated across the country. It will not only increase the amount of money that pokies donate to community organizations; it will also increase transparency, so that gaming trusts cannot misappropriate funds.

The Department of Internal Affairs supports the passing of the bill, and representatives will work with Flavell to ensure that its terms are enforced throughout the country.

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Jiroh, 11, and sister Jireh, 12, spoke at the symposium to provide the audience with a look at their experience with problem gambling. Both of their parents are addicted to gambling, and they wanted to ensure that other young people in their situation develop a healthy outlook.

Jiroh read from poem, which pleaded with his parents to stop gambling and to put their children first. He stated that children are the most affected when problem gambling is present in a family, because they are often neglected. As such, they develop feelings of anger and depression.

Their performance at the symposium was inspiring. Gaming industry professionals and researchers that attended gave them a standing ovation, and they now have a better understanding of how children are affected by problem gambling.

“We really really do need to care for our most disadvantaged children,” says Victoria University professor Jonathan Boston. “They are precious, they are vulnerable and they are powerless. If we do not speak on their behalf, then they cannot”.

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The Commerce Commission has recently granted SkyCity permission to purchase the gambling venue, which is currently owned by Otago Casinos. The acquisition of the casino will mean that SkyCity will own both casinos in Queenstown, but the Commerce Commission states that this will not negatively affect competition in the local gambling market.

SkyCity will further encourage competition by converting the Wharf Casino into a high roller venue. While SkyCity Queenstown caters to all types of gamblers, the new Wharf Casino will be targeted at players who are more interested in playing high-stakes games. This is a common business strategy for many local gaming operators, as VIP gambling is quite a lucrative market.

”We are focusing on upgrading our VIP offering in Queenstown, so we have an offer to complement our Horizon VIP offering in Auckland,” says CEO Nigel Morrison said.

The transition is still in its initial stages. There is no word yet on when SkyCity will begin renovating The Wharf Casino.

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The deal will see SkyCity build Auckland’s new convention centre, investing $402 million into the project. In return, the casino operator will receive an additional 230 poker machines for its Auckland location, a number of new table games and an extended gambling license.

Local residents have been sceptical of the deal since it was first revealed. The Greens and other political groups tried their hardest to lobby against the deal, but it was no use. The project’s negotiations continued and its legislation has passed its first read by a vote to 59 to 61.

SkyCity CEO Nigel Morrison believes that the bill has not been well-received due to supposedly slanderous media attention. He claims that his company’s reputation is being tarnished, despite the economic benefits that the convention centre will bring into the community.

The bill will be presented to senate for a second time in November 2013.

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In Christchurch, local politicians have proposed the introduction of a local alcohol policy (LAP), which would stop all nightclubs from serving alcohol after 1am. Only nightclubs within the city centre would be able to serve alcohol until 3am – and Christchurch Casino would remain the only venue that is permitted to hold a 24-hour liquor license.

Since the new nightclub will be a part of the casino, the 24-hour liquor license has been extended to the venue. So, technically, it could serve alcohol all day. If the nightclub is permitted to stay open all day, it will be the second venue is Christchurch to serve alcohol 24-hours a day.

As it stands, the nightclub will be open to individuals over the age of 20. During off-peak times, it will be an all ages venue (for other types of events). The venue is also being booked for a wide range of events in 2014, including gala dinners, corporate events and fashion shows.

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Currently, gaming machine operators are required to provide 37% of their profits to community groups. Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain states that the new reforms will ensure that pokies donate at least 40% of their profits. In the future, he would like to see this increase to 45%.

“I know it’s possible because many societies are already exceeding this amount,” Tremain says. “The top six societies average 40.5 per cent pay-out, with one of the top societies paying out 46 per cent.’

According to the New Zealand Herald, for every 1% increase, the gambling market will donate an additional $7 million in profits to local sports, education, arts and culture initiatives. This will greatly benefit the local community, and remove some of the stigma that gaming machines do more harm than good.

The new reforms will also ensure transparency when it comes to pokie grants. This will prevent gaming trusts from misappropriate funds and providing grants to organizations that are in eligible.

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