New Zealand Councilwoman Champions Stricter Pokies Regulations

Auckland City Council member Josephine Bartley spearheads the movement to overhaul gaming regulations within New Zealand. Her primary focus is on implementing tighter restrictions on the spread and placement of electronic gaming machines, known colloquially as “pokies” throughout the nation.

Bartley contends that the existing 2003 Gambling Act severely impedes the capacity of local governing bodies to address the detrimental effects of compulsive gambling within their jurisdictions. She cites a 2020 study conducted by the Auckland Council Regulatory Committee, which disclosed that more than 50% of individuals seeking assistance for pokie dependency in the area originated from South Auckland. This district, which Bartley represents, has a history of economic disadvantage.

The councilwoman posits that granting local authorities greater autonomy to dictate the location and quantity of these machines is paramount. She emphasizes that pokies are frequently clustered in lower-income areas where inhabitants already face financial strain, thereby compounding the problem.

Although the Auckland Council decided in 2020 to uphold a “sinking lid” strategy concerning Class 4 gaming devices (encompassing pokies), effectively prohibiting the issuance of new permits and restricting the relocation of existing machines, detractors maintain that this action is insufficient.

Andre Froude, representing the Problem Gambling Foundation, concedes that the “sinking lid” approach assists in containing the establishment of new venues equipped with pokies. Nevertheless, he stresses that advancements in diminishing the total number of operational machines remain agonizingly gradual. Froude voices a sentiment shared by numerous council representatives nationwide – a sense of helplessness when confronted with the limited avenues at their disposal to effectively combat the pervasive issue of pokie dependence.

The Internal Affairs Minister, Jan Tinetti, stated that legislative bodies should possess the authority to eliminate the most detrimental gaming devices from neighborhoods, reflecting anxieties regarding the societal consequences of these devices, especially in susceptible populations. She recognized the necessity of extensive alterations to diminish gambling-associated harm.

This declaration follows apprehensions voiced by New Zealand’s proponents of responsible gaming concerning a Christchurch gaming establishment’s intentions to initiate a virtual casino in Malta.
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