Across New Zealand, residents are showing their support for sinking lid policies on pokie machines. First, Auckland residents started a campaign in support of the legislation. Now, Dunedin is working hard to get a sinking lid policy passed. The Dunedin City Council was the first stop for the legislation, and it saw positive results. The subcommittee which controls TAB venue policies and other gaming issues was presented with the proposal.

They have unanimously agreed to recommend a sinking lid policy in South Dunedin and a cap on poker machines throughout the rest of the city. Currently, the maximum number of poker machines that any venue is permitted is 12. The sinking lid policy will change this so that venues are not able to host any more than 5 pokies.

This will cause the total number of pokies in South Dunedin to decline from 168 to 50. Councillor Kate Wilson has investigated the state of the poker machine market in Dunedin in order to determine her stance on the issue. She found that there is a lack of controls on poker machines, so patrons are not encouraged to gamble responsibly.

Since improved controls have yet to be introduced, she feels that reducing the number of poker machines is a viable compromise as a means of reducing problem gambling rates. The decision to enact the policy only in South Dunedin stems from the discovery that pokies cause more harm in low-income neighbourhoods.

The area South Dunedin had the highest ranking in Dunedin’s deprivation index, so councillors felt that it is important to introduce a sinking lid policy in this area imminently. The full council will now deliberate on the issue. Since local residents and politicians have shown a great deal of support for the policy, it is likely that the proposal will pass the second stage of legislation easily.

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.