In Wellington, city councillors are going to review the way in poker machines are regulated. They want to reduce the potential harm of gambling across the city, and are taking a fresh look at existing gambling laws in order to determine the best way to go about this. A recent report in Scoop notes that Wellington City Council’s Community, Sport and Recreation committee will examine the ‘Gambling Venues Policy’.
This set of laws outlines the city’s responsibilities, as outlined by the Gambling Act 2003 and the Racing Act 2003. “It’s timely to re-look at how we control the growth of gambling to minimise the harm it causes – and do what we can to prevent problem gambling,” says Committee Chair Councillor Paul Eagle. The committee will be working together with various responsible gambling and welfare organisations.
Together, they will identify ways to improve safe gambling measures at pokie clubs with a view to curbing problem gambling rates in the future. Some potential amendments have already been proposed, including one that would limit the number of clubs in a particular area. It would prevent more than two additional pokie venues from being established in any one zone.
Venues would also be allowed to relocate and take their pokies with them – as long as their new location is within an approved area. Eagle continues: “It is a sensitive issue in some parts of Wellington and we will work closely with those community organisations focussed on gambling harm together with the gambling machine societies and the New Zealand Racing Board”.
On April 20, the committee will release a consultation document about the new amendments. Submissions can then be made on the new laws.
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