Pokies paused to recognise gambling harm

The Levin Sports Bar and Fatboyz Bar paused their pokies for an hour on Monday, September 3 from 9-10am in support of Gambling Harm Awareness Week.

Best Care (Whakapai Hauora) Charitable Trust in Palmerston North is part of the initiative which is being coordinated nationally by the Problem Gambling Foundation, Mapu Maia (Pacific Counselling Service), Asian Family Services, and several other community partners around the country.

Rahera Hapi-Moresi from Best Care (Whakapai Hauora) said they are pleased that the two venues agreed to participate in this campaign.

“It shows a commitment to reduce gambling harm in Horowhenua. Kerry and staff from the Levin Sports Bar along with members of the Health Promotion Team at Best Care (Whakapai Hauora) are working together to encourage whanau to pause and take a break from their gambling. We ran a free and morning tea during the hour pause,” she said.

Twenty-one venues around Wellington, Wairarapa, Otaki and Levin ‘paused their pokies’ over the course of the week; 11 venues in Lower Hutt, two in Kapiti Coast, four in Wellington, two in Levin and two in Wairarapa.

Along with pausing their pokies, some

‘Kerry and staff from the Levin Sports Bar along with members of the Health Promotion Team at Best Care (Whakapai Hauora) are working together to encourage wha¯ nau to pause and take a break from their gambling. We ran a free and morning tea during the hour pause.

— Rahera Hapi-Moresi from Best Care (Whakapai Hauora).

venues had a special guest visit or live music to entertain patrons.

Over 70 pokie venues from Bluff to Kaitaia signed up to turn off their pokies for an hour during Gambling Harm Awareness Week September 3-9, in recognition of gambling harm in Aotearoa.

The national theme for Gambling Harm Awareness Week this year was ‘take time out from gambling, put time into wha¯ nau’ so gamblers were encouraged to take a break from their gambling and connect with wha¯ nau.