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 policy, in order to shrink the number of poker machines in the city over the course of the next few years.

In Auckland, there was previously a sinking lid policy on pokies; however, it does not seem as though it was strict enough for most politicians. This time around, they would like to see tougher regulations, which do not allow for the relocation of poker machines. What this means is that pokies clubs cannot sell their machines to other venues or bring their pokies with them when they move.

Over time, this would reduce the number of pokies across the country. With some politicians standing by the notion that increased accessibility means increased problem gambling rates, the sinking lid policy seems to be the ideal solution for shrinking problem gambling rates across the country.

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.