Headline: Gaming reforms fail to tackle problem gambling
The changes announced today could actually lead to more harm from this industry
Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain’s package of reforms in the gaming sector do nothing to reduce the harm from gambling on pokie machines in pubs and sports clubs, Green Party gambling spokesperson Denise Roche said today.
The Government’s gambling reforms are concentrated on transparency in the gaming sector and investigating how to return funds to communities from gambling rather than harm minimisation.
“If the Government was serious about tackling the rorts to do with pokie trusts then they should have brought in reforms to increase transparency in this area earlier,” Ms Roche said.
“The changes announced today could actually lead to more harm from this industry.
“Gaming venues themselves have been pushing for changes to be made on a percentage basis.
“If a venue is getting a percentage of the takings then there an incentive for that venue to allow more risky gambling behaviour
“The Government should be looking at ways to reduce risky behaviour rather than providing incentives for it,” Ms Roche said.
“The fact that any further regulation of this industry will rely on consultation with the gambling sector shows just how slowly the process of reform for this sector is.
“The Commerce select committee has just spent over a year looking into the gaming industry during consideration of Te Ururoa Flavell’s Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Bill.
“This legislation received over 30,000 submissions,” Ms Roche said.
“It is simply unacceptable that the Government’s weak response to the problems in the gaming sector will once again rely on how the gaming industry reacts.”
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