Status quo for Waipā gambling policy
District council debate notes online gambling a ‘sleeping giant’
No changes will be made to Waipā District Council’s gambling policy, with the number of pokie machines permitted in the district staying the same despite a growing population.
The decision was made on Tuesday after a 40-minute debate among members of the council’s strategic policy and planning committee in which it was expressed that online gambling was a “sleeping giant”, and that the Government should introduce tighter online controls. There was also a call for venues to do whatever they could to reduce gambling harm.
In August, the council asked the community to share its views on specific rules around gaming machines, venues and TABs.
There were 237 pieces of feedback received, plus informal comments on the council’s Facebook page. The feedback focused on:
■ The total number of gaming machines (pokies).
■ The number of new TAB venues.
■ Where gaming machine venues and/or TAB venues can be.
■ If gaming machines could be relocated.
Most feedback (78 per cent) came from individuals and indicated that:
■ About 53 per cent support a sinking-lid pokies policy (whereby pokie machines disappear when venues close);
■ About 58 per cent of respondents supported limiting the number of new TAB venues;
■ About 53 per cent supported more restrictions on where gambling venues could be;
■ About 53 per cent supported the council’s existing relocation policy.
Mayor Susan O’Regan said she had been heartened by the community sentiment in the feedback and the concern shown around problem gambling.
“It really does show people are concerned for some of our most vulnerable members of the community,” she said.
There had been clear evidence that a sinking lid did not have an impact on the reduction of problem gambling, as problem gamblers would probably find another machine nearby.
A status quo decision would be a “defacto sinking lid” because the number of machines would stay the same with a growing population.
“There is no perfect model,” O’Regan said. “The status quo does benefit the community in terms of supporting community groups and not-for-profit agencies through current funding models, and for many of these groups, there are little to no alternatives for funding.
“Those groups and agencies play an integral role in the health and wellbeing of our district. They are the glue and very fabric of what makes Waipā such a great place to live.”
Only 232 Class 4 pokie machines are allowed in Waipā. There are 72 in Cambridge, 36 in Leamington, 106 in Te Awamutu and 18 in Kihikihi.
The policy will be reviewed again in three years.