Gambling policy up for debate

The number of gaming machines in the Timaru district has more than halved in the past 15 years but more could be done to ensure the decline of the machines, the Problem Gambling Foundation says.

The Timaru District Council is calling on the community to have its say on its controversial new gambling venue policy which, if introduced, would limit new venues to a maximum of seven gaming machines.

The policy would also allow existing gambling venues operating fewer than seven gaming machines to increase their number to seven.

Public submissions on the policy, which has already received a mixed response since it was made public earlier this month, are now open.

In a submission to the council, Gaming Machine Industry Association chairman Bruce Robertson said the gaming funding supported sports clubs such as the Mackenzie Ice Hockey Club and the Twizel Rowing Club; events such as Aoraki Secondary School sports; and local schools such as Timaru Boys’ High School.

‘‘The evidence does not support the introduction of a more restrictive policy. There is no direct correlation between gaming machine numbers and problem gambling rates. Over the past 10 years, the problem gambling rate has remained the same, despite gaming machine numbers declining rapidly.’’

Robertson said erosion of the community funding infrastructure was leading to more grant applications being declined, due to a lack of available funds for distribution. ‘‘In contrast to gaming venues, offshore-based online gambling does not generate any community funding for New Zealanders, no tax revenue is generated for the New Zealand Government, and no contributions are made to problem gambling treatment providers via the problem gambling levy,’’ he said.

However, Problem Gambling Foundation spokesperson Andree Froude said the policy did not go far enough and a ‘‘sinking lid’’ approach should be introduced.

Froude said the number of gaming machines in the Timaru district had dropped from more than 340 in 2003 to about 165 as of this year. ‘‘While it is great that the number of machines in the Timaru district has reduced through natural attrition, we want to see those numbers continue to drop,’’ Froude said. ‘‘A sinking lid policy takes a really long time to take effect and would not lead to the disappearance of gaming machines overnight.’’

Froude said that although gaming machines brought funding into the community, there was a huge social cost to the community.

‘‘It really does pose an ethical and moral dilemma for community organisations,’’ Froude said.

‘‘Over time, they will have to look at alternative sources of funding.’’

Froude said the foundation would like the council to better acknowledge social harm.

‘‘The council’s policy says introducing a sinking lid might discourage clubs and bars from being established.

‘‘Well, if they have to install gaming machines to be truly viable, should we really have them in our community at all,’’ she said.

According to the Problem Gambling Foundation, there was a total of $3.435 million put back into the Timaru district through gaming machine revenue from January 2018 to March 2019, or about 40 per cent of all gaming machine revenue. People have until November 11 to submit on the policy.

‘‘A sinking lid policy takes a really long time to take effect.’’

Problem Gambling Foundation spokesperson Andree Froude