Skifield’s chairlift struck by avalanche

Fewer Kiwis are gambling but the rate of gambling-related harm remains the same, a long-running study has found.

AUT’s National Gambling Study, released yesterday, said gambling participation in New Zealand fell from 80 per cent to 75 per cent between 2012 and 2015. In that period, the level of people classed as moderate-risk or problem gamblers remained at 2 per cent of adults.

That rate has been stable for about 15 years, defying the theory that harm would fall alongside the overall rate of gambling.

AUT gambling and addictions research centre director Professor Max Abbott said the rate of problem gamblers was static because many people fell back into old habits.

“High relapse is a large part of the reason why rates of harm have remained much the same in the face of declining participation,” he said.

The harm associated with gambling had been found to outweigh that of substance abuse, Abbott said.

To be defined as a problem gambler, a person had to have behavioural problems, such as losing control of their spending, and for their gambling to have had negative consequences, such as affecting relationships.

Electronic gaming machines (pokies), online gaming, and games such as Instant Kiwi often led to people falling back into addiction.

While Instant Kiwi and online gambling usually did not hook people into problem gambling in the first place, they were often responsible for people resuming their addiction.

The study tracked a national sample of 2770 people between 2012-2015. In that period, the number of electronic gaming machines fell. But the machines remain heavily concentrated in poorer areas such as South Auckland.

People in high deprivation areas were more at risk of developing a gambling problem: “So you’ve got very vulnerable, high-risk groups in communities with high exposure to the most addictive forms of gambling.”

Abbott wants pokies removed from pubs and clubs.

Many community groups depend on the income from pokies, and alternative funding sources must be found, he said.

Gambling participation peaked at about 90 per cent in the mid-80s after pokies’ arrival. It has fallen steadily since the mid-90s. The High Noon Express chairlift was badly damaged by the avalanche and will be closed for at least a week. A major chairlift at Mt Ruapehu’s Tu¯ roa skifield will be closed for at least a week after it was struck by an avalanche yesterday.

The avalanche, triggered by explosives used as part of a daily routine to clear the mountain of dangerous snow packs, wiped out the High Noon chairlift about 8.30am.

Engineers inspected the site and confirmed Tower 15 will need to be replaced, RAL chief executive Ross Copland said in a statement.

“We are working to inspect the haul rope and other components to determine how long the repair work is likely to take. At this stage I can confirm the lift will be inoperable for at least one week.”

The six-seater lift, which was built in 2007, could be closed for much longer if staff discovered the haul rope is damaged as it would take months to import a new one from Europe, he said.

The avalanche flowed through a glacial zone known as Gliding Gladys before hitting the High Noon Express chairlift.

No one was injured and all RAL staff were accounted for. The upper mountain was closed at both the Whakapapa and Tu¯ roa ski areas on Monday.