Te Ururoa Flavell has announced that the newly proposed harm reduction bill for poker machines will not negatively affect funding. Instead, he states that it has the potential to increase funding to a wide range of charities and organizations across New Zealand, as it would create a more transparent system for donations.
Currently, a large portion of the funding donated to various sports, arts and education programs comes from the local poker machine market. With news of a new bill that would reduce the number of poker machines in the area, some charities expressed concerns over their funding; however, Flavell claims that it will not be a problem.
As it stands, poker machines drain millions of dollars from the community and contribute less than 20% of their profits back into it. As part of the newly proposed law, Flavell would like to see more money going to charities despite the possibility of fewer poker machines existing. He hopes that the bill will create a more transparent system, through which up to 80% of poker machines fund would benefit local communities.