Across Australia and New Zealand, problem gambling is becoming increasingly prevalent, and researchers are trying to determine the most effective ways of dealing with the issue. At the Auckland Technical University, a team of researchers have recently tested the effectiveness of gambling helplines, and they have discovered some positive results. According to the study, which…
Tag Archive: problem gambling
More Funding For Problem Gambling Support
For the past few years, problem gambling has become a major concern in Australia. Problem gambling rates are higher than they have ever been, but support services are inadequate. To remedy this issue, the federal government has provided Wollongong with the funds needed to support families that have been affected by gambling addiction. The grant…
Social Worker Spends Government Funding on Pokies
Anne Elizabeth Dalton was a public servant in charge of provided domestic abuse victims with emergency funding. This week, she appeared in court, after being accused of using the funds to gamble at various venues across the country. Dalton was found guilty of 271 counts of fraud. She had submitted 271 applications for emergency funding…
Pokie-Playing Thief To Serve 8 Years in Jail
Wendy Hope Jobson has been sentenced to eight years in jail, after being found guilty of theft. The former administrative manager had stolen $7.8 million from her former employer over the course of five years in order to fund her addiction to pokies. Her lawyers claimed that she was unaware of her actions, but failed…
NZ Politician Wants Pokies to Host Facial Recognition Technology
Facial recognition cameras are being touted as a means of reducing problem gambling rates across New Zealand. Installed in poker machines, the cameras would instantly identify problem gamblers and prevent them from wagering. Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell has suggested the idea, and local politicians seem to be interested in its potential. Facial recognition…
Do Gambling Loyalty Cards Encourage Problem Gambling?
As the federal government prepares to roll out voluntary pre-commitment technology, researchers are hoping to get to the bottom of the growing issue of problem gambling. A new study will examine the effects, if any, that loyalty programs have on problem gambling rates across the country. As voluntary pre-commitment is rolled out, players who wish…
Banned Pokie Players Became SkyCity VIPs
When an individual signs up to a casino’s self-exclusion program, they are normally banned from the gambling venue. If they do make it inside, they are restricted from gambling or cashing out their winnings. However, that was not the case for an Auckland couple, who signed self-exclusion agreements and continued to become VIP players at…
New Technology Allows Self-Exclusion Program to Expand
Self-exclusion is one of the most effective ways of helping problem gamblers curb their appetites. However, there are a number of drawbacks to the technology that prevent the system from being as helpful as it could be. Now, after years of research, a local self-exclusion program has been expanded in order to help more players…
Catholic Priest Involved in Pokie Scandal
Pokies have found themselves in the middle of quite a few gambling scandals recently – but none have been as shocking as the case of Father John Fitzmaurice. The Catholic priest has been jailed for spending $150 000 of his church’s money on pokies. According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Father Fitzmaurice…
More Problem Gambling Funding Allows for More Pokies
The owners of Victoria’s Sphinx Hotel wish to increase revenue and attract more customers by adding new pokies to their venue. Local politicians are having a difficult time believing that this is the best course of action and, as a bargaining chip, the venue operator has promised to use the funds generated by the new…