Odds stacked in favour of pokies

New Zealanders who use pokies are being harmed by targeting of vulnerable communities and machines deliberately designed to entice harmful gambling behaviour, according to the Salvation Army.

Latest Department of Internal Affairs figures show $870 million was spent on poker machines last year, the third annual increase in succession, despite a reduction in the number of machines, driven in part by what the Salvation Army’s head of addiction services, Lieutenant Colonel Lynette Hutson, described as destructive design features of the machines.

“The design of these machines is highly sophisticated, and uses machine and game characteristics to encourage risky gambling behaviour,” she said.

“Research shows the number of people gambling is reducing, but the number gambling harmfully remains stable. It is suggested that this may be due to changes in the design of pokie machines.”

Independent research was needed to determine the impact of those design features, to help develop effective consumer protection strategies, she said.

Meanwhile a disproportionate amount of harm was being done in the poorest communities, as the machines continued to targeted the most vulnerable people.

“These people are already vulnerable, and their communities are saturated with machines,” Lt-Col Hutson said.

“They’re more likely to gamble, because there are more machines available in those communities, and they are more likely to fall prey to them.”

The figures showed only a third of money spent on poker machines had been returned to the community via gaming machine trusts last year, with the majority of what had been gambled being lost to taxes and operating costs.

A report for the Ministry of Health last year showed gambling caused almost three times as much harm to New Zealanders as drug disorders.

“The stigma and the shame destroy people and prevent them from getting the help they need,” she added.

She urged people to seek help by contacting the Salvation Army Oasis on 0800 530-000, through salvationarmy.org.nz, the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654-655 or gamblinghelpline.co.nz