Sports clubs fear council gaming policy

South Canterbury sports clubs are calling on the Timaru District Council to not press ahead with proposed gaming machine regulations.

The council’s draft Gambling Venue Policy received 13 submissions, the bulk of them from various sports clubs which share similar concerns.

The clubs are calling on the council not to go ahead with its proposal to limit the number of machines in new gaming venues to seven. The

Gambling Act 2003 sets a maximum limit of nine machines for new venues.

However, many of the clubs claim that without the revenue from gaming machines through organisations such as Pub Charity, they would struggle to exist.

They also oppose the call from groups such as Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, and Community and Public Health, for a ‘‘sinking lid’’ policy, which would set a cap on the number of machines, and prevent new venues from adding to the total available.

The council’s draft policy has not opted for a sinking lid.

South Canterbury Rugby’s submission says ‘‘the current funding provided by the gaming trusts is vital to the survival and growth of our sport in our region, without this support, rugby and the participation of over 2867 individuals will be in jeopardy’’.

‘‘The introduction of a more restrictive policy will adversely affect community funding and increase the migration of the gambling spend to online providers.’’

The union also argues that having nine machines at a venue ‘‘makes the venue more financially viable, and thus increases the amount of money generated for community purposes’’.

South Canterbury Cricket submitted the support of gaming trusts is ‘‘essential to the health of many sporting organisations, not just cricket, and the reduction in funding available which would naturally happen with a reduction in machines would only make it more difficult to provide well organised activities for our communities’’.

‘‘Already the extra administration duties puts much more pressure on our organisations and volunteer support, as the community funding is primarily applied for to make it more feasible to support our volunteer and player database and to continue to provide opportunities for healthy communities.’’

There was similar opposition from South Canterbury Football and South Canterbury Basketball.

According to the Problem Gambling Foundation, from January 2018 to March 2019, money spent on pokies in the Timaru District was about $12.13 million, with $3,435,949 returned back to the community.

Of the money returned, $2,203,417 (64 per cent) went to sports organisations, $842,552 (24.5 per cent) to community services, and $389,980 (11.5 per cent) to community groups.

Pub Charity’s submission notes that despite a policy setting with no upper limits on venue and machines numbers, both have fallen in just the past five years from 24 venues and 265 machines to 14 and 165.

‘‘There is no evidence or justification for the regressive policies being suggested by some. Sinking lids are often justified by council staff as necessary for ‘producing the best outcome for the community’ balancing the positive value of the grants ‘against the negative social effects experienced by those members of the community that are impacted by the behaviour of at-risk gambler’,’’ the submission says.

Council will hear the submissions on November 26.

The introduction of a more restrictive policy will adversely affect community funding.

South Canterbury Rugby’s submission