Over the course of the last year, residents of Western Bay spent $33 million on poker machines. While the value still seems quite high, a significant decline has occurred, as pokie players have spent 1.8% less on pokies since the 2011-2012 financial year. The decline in pokie numbers is likely due to the fact that there are fewer pokies in the area.
In Western Bay, the number of pokies has declined from 750 to 717 over the course of the past year, likely resulting in less spending on electronic gaming machines. These numbers were revealed shortly after Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain made his submission requesting that pokie operators donate more money back into the community.
At the moment, 37% of pokie profits must be returned via pokie grants, which results in at least $300 million in donations every year. His submission suggests that the amount is increased to 43% over the course of the next four years, which would result in an additional $42 million in pokie grants. Originally, Te Ururoa Flavell wanted pokies to donate 80% of their profits back into the community, but a select committee rejected that provision.
Mr Tremain would eventually like to see between 60% and 80% of pokie profits being donated through pokie grants, but it seems that he is starting small. The submission would also see to it that pokie funds would be returned back into the community where they were gathered.
As such, areas like Western Bay would receive a pokie grants that are proportionate to the amount of money that its residents have spent rather than seeing their pokie profits donate to other communities. "We've seen money going out of our poorest communities into our wealthier communities and causes, and that's just inequitable and inappropriate,” says Graeme Ramsey of the New Zealand Problem Gambling Foundation.
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