SkyCity was granted permission to add over 200 new pokies to its Auckland casino property in return for spending $400 million to build the city’s new convention centre. The casino operator has defend the new pokies by referring to its Host Responsibility Programme, which aims to reduce potential harm to players at the casino. To test the Host Responsibility Programme, Campbell Live carried out an investigative report.
A 76-year-old man named Alan was sent to gamble on pokies at SkyCity Casino at 4pm. The journalism team wanted to find out whether a staff member would approach Alan at any point during his time at the casino to ask him if he needed a break or intervene in some other way. By 9pm, Alan had taken his dinner break. He noted that there were few staff on the floor aside from severs and security.
There were few employees monitoring the players. After dinner, he went back to the same area. By 2:30am, no one had noticed him or spoke to him. He left at 6:30am. During his 14.5 hours at the casino, he was never approached. Alan wasn’t the only player who was there for hours on end. He noted that several other players were playing pokies in the same area until at least 6am.
This is the major concern about adding new pokies to the casino,– but nothing in SkyCity’s host responsibility policy says that staff will monitor the gaming floor to keep an eye out for players who have been wagering for hours on end.
However, the programme noted that staff had been trained to start conversations with players who have been there for quite some time which may, ‘in some cases, be sufficient to prevent the onset of harm’. Still, no one struck up this type of conversation with Alan. It highlights a major concern, as SkyCity’s activity will certainly increase upon the addition over 230 new pokies.
The casino operator has yet to comment on the report. To view the full report, visit: http://www.3news.co.nz/SkyCity-Responsible-hosts/tabid/817/articleID/330077/Default.aspx.
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