The recent earthquake that hit Christchurch left the area’s gambling industry ravaged. Dozens of gaming venues across the country were damaged, leaving some operators without any valuable income. In order to change things, operators have requested that the sinking lid policy on pokies in Christchurch be lifted, but local politicians do not agree.

Over 30 poker machine venues were damaged in the Earthquake and over 20 remain closed. Despite this, pokies spending is way up in the area, as players use gambling as a way to cope with their grief. Because of this, local politicians do not believe the ban should be lifted. Since gaming spending continues to rise, there is no need to allow for the installation of new poker machines in Christchurch.

Especially since many new players seem to have unhealthy underlying reasons for player, it does not seem like the best course of action. Over the course of the next few years, the sinking lid policy will ensure that there are fewer and fewer pokies in the area. It will help to reduce problem gambling rates and allow operators to slowly find new ways to earn additional funding.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.