Most: ’No’ to pokies

When they hit the streets in central Lower Hutt this month, Problem Gambling Foundation staffers wore t-shirts with the words ‘‘ More Pokies – Yes or No?’’.

Health Promoter George Darroch says it’s known that around 70 per cent of the people who call gambling helping counselling services do so because of problems they have feeding ( non- casino) poke machines in towns and cities. But they don’t want to put words in people’s mouths.

‘‘The ‘ yes and no’ is a conversation starter. We want to get the real public opinion to council,’’ he said.

Hutt City Council is currently reviewing its Gambling Venue Policy, with June 5 set as the deadline for submissions.

‘‘We don’t want to pre-empt anybody and by saying ‘this is what you need to think’. But we know people don’t like [pokies].’’

The foundation’s communications director, Andree Froude, said in just over an hour standing outside Queensgate, 72 people had filled in a submission form, with the overwhelming majority supporting Hutt City Council introducing a ‘‘sinking lid’’ policy on the one- armed bandits. The council last year put a cap on pokies in the city, setting a maximum of 545 machines at 39 venues.

The foundation is arguing for a tougher, sinking lid stance, which would mean if a venue closed, a new one couldn’t open and nor could that venue’s machine licences be transferred to another operator.

Froude said sometimes people commented that pokie trusts were a source of grants to sport and community groups.

‘‘I had one person tell me that but she added ‘it doesn’t matter. Pokies are awful and people are losing too much money on them’.’’

Not everyone rings counselling services for help.

‘‘We hear a lot of stories about people who didn’t get help, things like ‘my brother lost this house, he tried to commit suicide,’’ Darrock said.

‘‘Gambling can ruin relationships, ruin families.’’