A major problem that is emerging at local casinos is the increasing presence of unattended children. At SkyCity Auckland, more and more children are being abandoned while their parents choose to gamble – and The Greens have adopted this as a platform to campaign against the SkyCity convention centre deal. The issue first gained national recognition in 2012 when five children were found in a locked van that was parked at SkyCity.
Their ages ranged from 5 months to 8 years. Surveillance footage found that they were locked in the vehicle for 45 minutes before security rescued them. At the time, the public was unaware that child neglect was common at casinos, but more light is being shed on the issue. According to One News, 49 children were left unattended at SkyCity over the course of the past year.
In 2011, 42 children were abandoned at the casino. In 2010, 19 were. As such, these findings reveal an increasingly prevalent issue. The Greens are certain that these numbers will only increase after the SkyCity convention centre deal is completed. With over 200 new pokies, it is likely that the casino will attract plenty more patrons. The Greens believe that some of these patrons will neglect their children in order to play.
"The deal increases problem gambling. And problem gambling [means] neglected kids left in the car park,” says Metiria Turie, co-leader of The Greens. "SkyCity knows that this is going to increase, they know it is already increasing and neither the Government nor SkyCity have done anything about it." SkyCity has defended itself against these claims, arguing that the venue has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against unattended children.
Whenever there is an incident, casino management act promptly to resolve the issue. The venue also takes preventative measures, including patrols of high-risk areas and regular monitoring of the car park. During school holidays, the casino also employs more security to patrol the atrium.
About the Author
