When it comes to the poker machine market, New Zealand has taken a vastly different approach to Australia’s. The government is in full support of gambling reform, as the Harm Reduction Bill continues to earn a great deal of support. Taking things one step further, Auckland City Council would like to impose a sinking lid…
Tag Archive: pokies laws
Pub Owner Not Pleased With Pokies Ban
Last week, dozens of Grassroots Trust poker machines were suspended after the operator refused to pay $500 000 in taxes. The suspension was aimed to punish the operator, but pub owners are the ones feeling the pinch as a result of lost profits. According to Reg Hennessy, owner of Hennessy’s Irish Bar and The Locker…
Grassroots Trust’s Pokies Shut Down
It seems that the government has finally decided to take action against pokies operators that do not comply with gaming laws. We recently published a report stating that pokies operators with suspended licenses were still operating across New Zealand. However, SunLive has revealed that a pokies trust will have several of its machines shut down…
NZ Pokies Bill Will Not Reduce Charity Funding
Te Ururoa Flavell has announced that the newly proposed harm reduction bill for poker machines will not negatively affect funding. Instead, he states that it has the potential to increase funding to a wide range of charities and organizations across New Zealand, as it would create a more transparent system for donations. Currently, a large…
Pub Owners to be Reponsible for Pokies
The state of Victoria is about to undergo some interesting changes to its local poker machine market. A new legislation will have pub owners taking over full ownership of their pokie machines, so companies like TabCorp and Tattersall will no longer be responsible for them. It is an interesting approach that the local government is…
Scrapped Pokies Bill Means Bad Things for Gillard Government
Julia Gillard may have scrapped Andrew Wilkie’s pokie reform bill, but he is still very heavily involved in the legislation. Despite withdrawing his support for her government, he still holds some power and states that he will not vote for the bill in its current form. The Gillard government is in the process of putting…
Gillard to Introduce New Pokies Laws
After reneging on her plans to implement Andrew Wilkie’s plans for poker machine reform, Julia Gillard will be drafting her own laws for pokies in the coming weeks. Rather than rolling out an industry-wide gambling reform, she has decided that a trial of precommitment technology would be more appropriate. Over the course of the next…
Victorian Government Bans Earphones from Poker Machines
The Victorian Government has made the decision to ban the use of earphones with poker machines. Politicians believe that they provide a dangerously immersive experience for players, which could likely lead to the development of unhealthy gambling habits. According to Gaming Minister Michael O’Brien, the use of earphones contradicts the local government’s commitment to responsible…
New Pokies Laws Increase Government Revenue by Over $150 Million
In Bailleau, new laws will see the government obtain an extra $160 million from poker machines. The legislation will divide pokie losses two ways: half going to the gaming venue’s operator and the other half going to the government. This is a significant revision from the government’s current plan, dividing profits three ways: between the…