Welcome to Gambling Watch Global Community Blog,
a source for latest news, developments and reputable documentation and research on gambling. You'll find many helpful resources and links for anti-gambling advocates.
9/16/2005: New Zealand
The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand is concerned the National Party’s proposed gambling laws will harm more than it helps.
“Local communities will lose power to determine how many pokies in their area under National’s proposed gambling policy,” says John Stansfield, CEO of the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF).
“Local communities and local council authorities have a greater understanding of their community needs than Wellington-based politicians. It is of paramount importance that those with the most knowledge have greater control in keeping their community safe from gambling harm,” says Mr Stansfield.
The National Party correctly identifies that gambling has increased significantly over the last decade, but has conveniently forgotten that an increase in gambling is accompanied by an increase in gambling problems.
“National’s proposal that venues receive a commission on community benefit is of grave concern. It appears to encourage maximising punters’ losses in favour of lining the pockets of publicans,” he says.
This could potentially increase problem gambling, and with it all the associated costs to society. The Problem Gambling Foundation has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of high-profile gambling-related crimes.
Individuals are committing acts of kidnapping and extortion, theft, fraud, neglect and a variety of other crimes in order to feed their gambling problems.
Each year 5000 New Zealanders are convicted of gambling-related crimes.
Problem gambling affects more than the individual. For every problem gambler seven others are affected. This includes whanau, children, friends, employers and employees and the wider community.
“The economic, social and cultural costs are huge,” he says.
“If that were not bad enough, problem gambling services – the very ones that help problem gamblers regain control of their lives and their gambling – are being punished for their good work.” The final point of National’s policy is the governance of the gambling industry.
Currently, the Department of Internal Affairs has control of regulating gambling in accordance with the Gambling Act, and the independent Gambling Commission acts as an appeal body for pokie operators and casino operators.
“This all adds up to a very expensive appeal system through the High Courts with less money going to community organisations.”
“This is not a policy to achieve a balance between rights to gamble and gambling harm, but proof that the National Party is more interested in greedy publicans than the communities they are supposed to be helping.”
AdministratorOne Response to “New Zealand”
Leave a Reply
3/11/2005: New Zealand
The Gambling Industry in New Zealand doesn’t want pop up messages on VLT’s. Regulation 8 is being debated and will be back to a committee March 16th. The regulation requires all pokie machines have a pop up window that interrupts play.
"Pop-up messages on pokie machines could have saved a child from being left in a car in a distressed state," says John Stansfield, CEO of the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF).
People playing the pokies can enter a trance-like state, and forget their responsibilities, such as children and work commitments.
Pop-up messages on pokies would frequently interrupt play, which would assist in breaking this mental state.
"If pop-up messages were in place, this young mother may have been able to save her child from this distress," says Mr Stansfield.
"There have been similar cases when parents have left children in a car unsupervised, to gamble. One that springs to mind is last October when a six-year-old left in the Christchurch Casino carpark while her mother and grandmother gambled," says Mr Stansfield.
"It is a common myth that only problem gamblers suffer from the negative impacts of gambling, when latest research indicates that at least five others are affected by one person’s gambling."
"Communities expect that the welfare of a child will be provided for by their family. When problem gambling is thrown into the equation, these expectations are often not met. Children suffer from neglect, a lack of basic provisions such as food, clothing and shelter, and occasionally victims of abuse," says Mr Stansfield.
"The effects of problem gambling on children are a grave concern, and steps need to be taken to stop it." "I am no more anti-gambling than the guy who puts seatbelts in your car is anti-driving. We just want to make these things safe."
Leave a Reply
10/18/2004: New Zealand
Gambling Watch New Zealand is in the link section. It is a well maintained site containing up to date information, research and anti gambling advocacy issues.
Leave a Reply
9/12/2004: New Zealand
Gambling Watch Global is happy to link up New Zealand.
Admin has been looking around the net, and hasn’t found any gambling information from the country.
In response to Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, we’d like you to know you are in our categories, and submissions are welcome.
September 11th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Chinese Self-Help/Group Workbook for Problem Gamblers
For the Chinese community in Auckland, the captioned Chinese Workbook published in early 2005 in Hong Kong could be a useful reference for gamblers and their family to know more about self-help and recovery from problem gambling. The Auckland city libraries had recently purchased a few copies from Hong Kong. I hope the Chinese community there could have access and benefit from the book for prevention and self-treatment purposes.
If this message purport to be an advertisement, pls delete it accordingly.
Edward KWAN
MPA, BA, BSW, PCpsych, MBPS, CGC
author , trainer on problem gambling counselling