Pokies suck up $10M in three months
Spend more than doubled June quarter
Pokie machines sucked $10 million or nearly $109,000 a day from mostly vulnerable communities across Northland in just three months — a staggering amount that would buy more than a dozen new threebedroom houses.
Figures from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) show Northlanders sank $10.1m on pokies in pubs and clubs in the last quarter of 2020, which was more than double that of the June quarter when they spent $4.2m.
The $10m works out at $108,695 a day, $4528 per hour, and $75 every minute over the 92-day period.
A land and house package in Whanga¯rei costs up to $800,000 which means more than 12 average houses can be built for $10m.
In comparison, the Northland District Health Board had spent $10.6m fighting Covid-19 by the end of May last year while the Government allocated $10m for Kaitaia Hospital upgrade in early 2020.
Nga Manga Puriri manager and problem gambling practitioner Marino Murphy said $10m in three months on pokie machines was “a lot of money” that could be used to feed and house many families in Northland.
“Pokie machines have always been a problem because they are easily accessible and are everywhere. There’s been an increase in online gambling, especially since Covid lockdown last year.”
Murphy said gambling Aucklanders who moved up north continued with their habit, which exacerbated problem gambling in Northland.
“They still have the mindset that pokies will double their money and they can then get whatever they need. It could be as little as $3. There are ads everywhere, they trap them.
“It’s hard to educate people and it boils down to poverty. If people get just enough in life, they’ll stop gambling,” Murphy said.
She said families were fragmented when there were problems with gambling — something Nga Manga Puriri was trying hard to address.
Societies that give grants from pokie machine profits in Northland include the Oxford Sports Trust, Four Winds Foundation, Grassroots Trust, Pub Charity, Rano Community Trust, The Lion Foundation, Pelorus Trust, Trillian Trust, Bluesky Community Trust, Grassroots Trust and Kaiwaka Sports Association.
Of the $10m, the amount ploughed back into the community isn’t known as the DIA is yet to collate grants data for last year.
However, a quick calculation of grants approved by Oxford Sports Trust, Grassroots Trust, and Pub Charity in the December quarter shows $2.5m had been approved to various organisations, including sporting bodies and schools.
Northland Rugby Union received the most from Oxford Sports Trust for amateur sporting activities — 13
Pokie machines have always been a problem because they are easily accessible and are everywhere. Marino Murphy
per cent or $200,147 of the $1.5m approved over that quarter.
Calls by Northland budget advisers over the years for financial literacy to be taught in schools has been rewarded as lessons on such matters now attract NCEA credits.
The School Leavers’ Toolkit includes a website for high school students with self-directed learning about financial literacy, civics education, the key competencies workers need on the job, and information about personal wellbeing.
The toolkit includes information on how to enrol for further study or training, how to manage money, and the skills and attributes expected in the workplace.
They can also learn about money matters either in general class or as part of related subjects such as mathematics.
Financial literacy classes teach students the basics of money management such as budgeting, saving, debt, investing, and giving.
That knowledge lays a foundation for students to build strong money habits early on and avoid many of the mistakes that lead to lifelong money struggles.
Whanga¯rei and the Far North each had 19 gaming venues and Kaipara had seven at the end of last year.
There were 273 electronic gaming machines in the Far North, 269 in Whanga¯rei, and 60 in Kaipara.
At the end of June 2020, there were 274 machines in Whanga¯rei, 273 in the Far North, and 60 in Kaipara. T
People having problems with gambling should seek help from the Salvation Army Oasis on 0800 530 000, through salvationarmy.org.nz, the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or gamblinghelpline.co.nz.