Latest News:
The Problem Gambling Foundation says the national increase in spending on pokies could have been driven by the rise in spending in Christchurch and nearby regions, which accounted for over 50 percent of the total increase.
Figures released yesterday by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) show there has been a 9.4 percent increase in spending on pokies in Christchurch City on the...read more
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
The Problem Gambling Foundation says more needs to be done to stop children in the Far North going hungry because their parents are spending money playing on the pokies.
The New Zealand Herald...
Monday, 23 January 2012
"The gambling industry depicts gambling problems as arising from the pathology of individual gamblers rather than the nature of the pokie product. This is patently untrue".
This is an exerpt...
Friday, 20 January 2012
The NZ Herald reports, Friday 20 January, that 'uncertainty clouds SkyCity's $350m plan'...
SkyCity's plan for a $350 million national convention centre in Auckland remains uncertain despite...
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Internet gambling is on the rise in Australia according to new research from the University of Sydney and Southern Cross University, with factors such as convenience and ease of access...
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
In an article in The Age on 18 January, reporters Richard Willingham and Jacob Saulwick write that Julia Gillard has backed away from her promise to introduce a mandatory pre-commitment scheme for...
Thursday, 12 January 2012
In an article in the Taranaki Daily Times, Thursday 12 January, reporter Matt Rilkoff talks to our counsellor Stewart Best.
One in five pokie users across the country is at risk of becoming...
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
A New Zealand Herald article on Wednesday 11 January, reports that two spectators have been kicked out of the Heineken Open in Auckland for illegal spot-betting.
Tournament director...
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
In an editorial piece in the Otago Daily Times, Tuesday 10 January, the Editor questions the Lotteries Commission's strategic objective for the future - to encourage more people to play.
Should...
Monday, 12 December 2011
In the Editorial featured in the Gisborne Herald on Saturday December 10th, Jeremy Muir writes about pokies - the 'social evil' that creates misery in many homes...
The three-yearly review of...
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
The Southland Times reports on Wednesday 9 November...
The Invercargill City Council last night adopted a new gambling venue policy preventing any new establishments from having pokie machines,...
Monday, 31 October 2011
In a Sunday Star Times feature piece, Steve Kilgallon investigates where the money (allegedly from West Auckland's licensing trusts) is really coming from.
West Auckland's...
Friday, 28 October 2011
The Manawatu Standard reports...
New operators who want to install pokies in their bars or clubs face a long wait, with the Palmerston North City Council deciding it wants to reduce the number...
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
The Age in Australia writes of the dangers of a new 'immersive' pokie machine.
NEW pokie machines with earphones for punters that promise owners ''a new level of profitability''...
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
The Herald on Sunday reports on SkyCity Auckland's high-roller rooms opened to coincide with the Rugby World Cup.
The bets can be $150,000 a hand and gamblers can spend $4 million over the...
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
In an opinion piece in The Drum, Charles Livingstone, Deputy Head of the Department of Health Social Science at Monash University, writes about harm, problem gambling and the pro-pokies lobby in...
Friday, 7 October 2011
The Nelson Mail has published an article about Brenda McQuillan's new book to help gamblers.
A Nelson woman who committed fraud to fund her gambling addiction more than 10 years ago has written...
Friday, 30 September 2011
Colin Kruger writes in the Sydney Morning Herald that no other country has the saturation of electronic gaming machines that Australia has in states such as NSW and, to a lesser extent, Victoria. ...
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
In a Sydney Morning Herald editorial piece, the writer says...
"It is not only problem gamblers who become addicted to the ruinous use of poker machines. State governments also acquire the...
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
As the pokies debate 'heats up' in Australia, Andrew Wilkie says 'the poker machine industry has adopted a licence to lie'...
"In claiming I want Australians to sign up for a licence...
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
An article in the Waikato Times on 21 September, tells of two teens who are taking a positive approach to problem gambling...
Unlike the social issue they were tackling, two Waikato teenagers...
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
An article in the Press published today (Tuesday 13 September) states that gambling on Christchurch pokies was up 17.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011.
Christchurch gamblers spent...
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Big Cig to marry pokie machine at SkyCity on Gamblefree Day...
Auckland's SkyCity Casino will be the venue for a different sort of wedding on Gamblefree Day, Thursday 1 September at 12 noon.
...
Friday, 26 August 2011
Hip Hop rapper Scribe will be part of the fun at the Waka on the Waitemata event being held on Gamblefree Day, Thursday 1 September at Orakei Water Sports at Auckland's Okahu Landing.
The event...
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
The Wanganui Chronicle reports that the 90-year-old Waverley Hotel has a new lessee who wants to get rid of the four pokie machines and put a big screen television in the lounge. The Chronicle...
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
The Problem Gambling Foundation is concerned about the high risk of problem gambling in Canterbury.
Figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) show spending on pokies in...
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
In a NZ Herald article published today, Wednesday 29 June, Bernard Orsman writes about the council debate held yesterday on the proposal for an international convention centre for...
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
In a Herald Sun article published Tuesday 28 June, Stephen McMahon reports almost 16,000 Victorians become problem gamblers every year.
Most problem gamblers play the pokies, gamble...
Monday, 27 June 2011
In an article in the NZ Herald on Saturday 25 June, Janet McAllister writes about the arts sector taking an average of $9.5 million annually from gambling machines to fund grants.
The arts...
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
An Otago Daily Times article reports how student perceptions about gambling were challenged during a "down-to-earth" demonstration at Otago Polytechnic yesterday, which aimed to highlight...
Monday, 13 June 2011
While the Problem Gambling Foundation applauds the building of a convention centre in the heart of Auckland, it is concerned about the social impact of increasing the number of pokie machines and...
Monday, 30 May 2011
A NZ Herald article published on 28 May reports that a trusted accountant quietly stole from his employers for 10 years and splashed out almost $50 million at the casino....
Friday, 27 May 2011
TVNZ online reports today that Hamilton's SkyCity Casino will move to a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation in a move to attract high-spending Asian gamblers.
Casino bosses say the new hours -...
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
The Problem Gambling Foundation is questioning why many pokie trusts are unable to return to communities any more than the minimum amount of gaming machine proceeds that they are required to by...
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
In the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday 19 April, Michael Mullins writes "Venues affiliated with the church should back precommitment technology" It is ironic that the president of Clubs...
Monday, 18 April 2011
In an article in the Herald Sun published on 18 April, Julia Gillard has revealed her fight to crack down on poker machines has been spurred on by the "heartbreaking" cases of gambling...
Friday, 15 April 2011
The debate over pokie reform in Australia continues. This article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald online on Friday 15 April....
Premier's new recruit backs pokie limit
Barry...
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
A High Court date has been set to hear a challenge to the Nelson City Council's amended poker machine policy which allowed the gambling machines to return to a bar in Victory Square in October....
Monday, 11 April 2011
'Tsunami of pokies' swamps poorest New Zealanders....
In an opinion piece published by the Southland Times, Invercargill Mayor, Tim Shadbolt, writes...
"When I was first elected Mayor of...
Friday, 8 April 2011
Lotto's largest ever Powerball draw in New Zealand takes place tomorrow. There has been extensive media coverage...
Newstalk ZB:
A warning not to be blinded by the cash...
Thursday, 7 April 2011
In an article published on 7 April, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that MPs say they may not back the pokie law.
The risk has grown that the Tasmanian independent, Andrew Wilkie, will...
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
The Problem Gambling Foundation's Christchurch office at 329 Durham Street is closed due to the earthquake.
The phone is temporarily being diverted to our Wellington office. Please phone 0800...
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
The Problem Gambling Foundation's 2010 client statistics reveal an increase in the number of youth seeking help for problem gambling.
The number of new clients aged under 25 seeking counselling...
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Do you need some ideas on how your organisation can thrive without accepting pokie funding?
A booklet entitled ' Putting the fun back into fundraising' has been produced by the Problem Gambling...
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
With Christmas just around the corner, the Problem Gambling Foundation wants to remind parents that lottery tickets and scratch cards are not appropriate gifts for children.
Graeme Ramsey,...
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
After eight years as Chair of the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) Board, Richard Northey is stepping down to concentrate on his new role with Auckland Council after his recent election to its...
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Only 12 percent of respondents in a recent survey thought the responsibility for the distribution of gambling profits should remain with people who operate gambling activities, such as pokie...
Thursday, 4 November 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation says now is the time to review the current system of distributing pokie funds through trusts, a system which continues to be abused.
Te Ururoa Flavell's Gambling...
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation says it is time to put people before pokie machines and that's exactly what Te Ururoa Flavell's Gambling Harm Reduction Bill proposes.
The bill, commonly...
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Asian Family Services at the Problem Gambling Foundation will be officially opened by Hon Pansy Wong, Minister for Ethnic Affairs, at a special event being held on Friday 29 October at 3.30pm at...
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Problem gambling, alcohol, tobacco, Maori health and other social issues are to be hotly debated and discussed at a pre-election mayoral forum being held on Monday 27 September at 12 noon...
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Over 220 restaurants around New Zealand are offering a discount for diners in support of Gamblefree Day on Wednesday 1 September.
John Wong, National Director of Asian Family Services at the...
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
From street theatre with pokie machines being demolished in a puff of smoke, to restaurant dining discounts and community events, there is something for everyone on Gamblefree Day Wednesday 1...
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Australia pursuing pre-commitment for pokie machines:
The Australian Productivity Commission recommends that each jurisdiction in Australia adopt a full pre-commitment system for pokie...
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation questions why SkyCity Casino continues to profit from the millions of dollars that finds its way into their coffers from criminal activity.
Hot on the heels of...
Monday, 21 June 2010
Far North District Council has ignored public opinion about pokies
The Problem Gambling Foundation says the Far North District Council has not listened to the community when considering the...
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Maori Party Bill to put communities in control of pokies
The Problem Gambling Foundation is delighted the Maori Party's Gambling Harm Reduction Bill submitted for ballot addresses the big...
Monday, 31 May 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation is not surprised that the Lion and Perry Foundations have now decided not to contest an Internal Affairs Department decision which will prevent them granting pokie...
Friday, 7 May 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF) says that the Gambling Commission's decision to suspend the licences of two gaming machine trusts is not nearly enough.
PGF believes...
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation supports a recent New Zealand Law Journal article that recommends a review of the distribution of electronic gaming machine funds.
The article, in the March...
Thursday, 29 April 2010
The latest figures released by the Ministry of Health indicate a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking help for problem gambling.
The data shows that 6,673 clients presented for...
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Alignment of gambling venue policies not considered by Auckland City Council
The Problem Gambling Foundation says Auckland City Council's decision to adopt a different...
Friday, 26 March 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation says Labour MP Carol Beaumont's campaign to crackdown on loan sharks is long overdue but a step in the right direction.
Graeme Ramsey, CEO of the Problem Gambling...
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation says all Councils should consider new research which has found that there is almost one new problem gambler for each additional pokie machine (electronic gaming...
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Smart cards and pre-commitment systems for gaming machines could be the answer to making pokies safer, and the technology already exists.
Technology, and the part it plays in...
Monday, 15 February 2010
Hundreds of Porirua residents are having their say to make sure no more pokie machines are brought into their community.
More than 340 submissions were delivered to Porirua City Council on...
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Media Release
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Mapu Maia, the new Pacific Unit at the Problem Gambling Foundation was officially launched at a special event held...
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
The 2010 International Gambling Conference, being held at Auckland's Crowne Plaza Hotel from 24 to 26 February, will explore the impact of technology on gambling.
The conference, Gambling in the...
Friday, 5 February 2010
Pokie spend in the country's 1500 pubs and clubs may have decreased over the last year, but that is not the case in some South Island regions.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has just...
Thursday, 14 January 2010
The people of Hawkes Bay have to deal with yet another disaster driven by problem gambling and pokie machines says the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand.
In the first of 2010, we have...
Friday, 8 January 2010
The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF) is proud that one of their staff was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in the 2010 New Year Honours.
John Wong, National Asian Services...