Wellington City campaign

24 March 2010 Latest news

The period for consultation on the draft gambling venue policy is currently underway and will end on 9 April 2010.  Oral submissions will be heard by the Strategy and Policy Committee on 22 April 2010, and in June the final gambling policy will be considered by the Council.

In 2009, over $39 million was lost in Wellington through pokie machines outside casinos. In Wellington, there are currently 797 pokie machines situated across 54 non-casino venues.

You can help us keep the number of pokie machines down in Wellington City.

The Council is currently seeking feedback on a proposed amendment to the current policy.  Under the proposal, the policy will shift from a 'cap' on the number of gaming machines in 'capped' suburban zones to a population-based 'cap'. 

 
The Council hopes that through the proposed amendment there will be a decrease in pokie machine numbers in areas of concern, as identified by the Council. The areas of concern include Tawa, Johnsonville, Miramar, Karori and Newtown. There will be no cap however in the Central, Lambton, and Onslow zones and to an extent the Western Zones.

New research* shows that every additional pokie machine in the community results in .8 new problem gamblers. Therefore, policies that restrict the number of pokie machines are an effective means of reducing gambling-related harm. Although the proposal by Council is capping the number of machines in certain areas of the City, it is allowing growth in other areas of the City.

The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand and its allies support a Sinking Lid Policy (this means the number of pokie machines and venues in Wellington will be 'capped' and that cap will further reduce if a venues closes down).  It also means that venues are unable to relocate.

We want the council to consider a Sinking Lid Policy to ensure that no more people in Wellington City experience harm as a result of problem gambling.

To view the draft gambling venue policy on the Wellington City Council's website click here
 
To help you make a submission, view our template here

For further information please contact Katherine Reweti Ph (04) 473 4360 or email katherine.reweti@pgfnz.org.nz
 
 

Research article: *Storer, John, Abbott, Max and Stubbs, Judith(2009) 'Access or adaptation? A meta-analysis of surveys of problem gambling prevalence in Australia and New Zealand with respect to concentration of electronic gaming machines', International Gambling Studies, 9: 3, 225 — 244