Last week, New Zealand’s Labour Party announced that it was presenting new amendments to Te Ururoa Flavell's Gambling Harm Reduction Bill. The bill had originally been amended by a select committee, who watered down the provisions. Now, Labour has stepped in, and representative Trevor Mallard changes are being applauded by responsible gambling advocates.
One of Mallard’s amendments would see to it that players are restricted from playing pokies between the hours of 4am and 9am. During these early hours, the only individuals likely to be playing are those with compulsive gambling issues. Players with healthy gambling habits play during normal operations for clubs: during the afternoon, evening and even early in the night.
"It would be the end of some of these 24 hour operations,” Mallard says. “We want to use this bill to break the cycle of gambling … which for some people goes on day and night." When players are able to gamble for hours on end, it would certainly help to break up their time. By sending them home at 4am, club owners can give players time to reflect on their gaming habits and their spending on pokies.
Mallard’s strict new amendments are partially in response to SkyCity’s convention centre deal. SkyCity Auckland will be adding 240 new pokies to the property, which are likely to contribute to an increase in problem gambling rates in the city. By cracking down on lenient pokie clubs, Mallard can help to counteract the effect that the SkyCity deal will have on the local community.
"We are going to put even more effort into harm minimisation now than we had to in the past because the problem's going to get worse."
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