Forum Archive Index - February 2003

["Mark Stevens" <mark.stevens@infogen.net.nz>]

More good news for SKC, it keeps on coming…

 

Lobby group claims pokie machines flooding NZ while bill waits

26 February 2003

Pokie machines are flooding into New Zealand while a new gambling law waits in Parliament, an anti-gambling action group claims.

More than 1300 new machines were licensed in the December quarter, bringing the national total to 26,868 machines - a machine for every 147 people, Gambling Watch co-ordinator Dave Macpherson said

"The private pokie trusts are hell-bent on saturating the market and screwing as much money out of our communities as possible, before the government can gets its act together to bring in the promised controls," Mr Macpherson said in a statement.

The figures included machines in casinos. There are 24,330 machines used outside casinos, up from 23,002 the previous quarter, Ministry of Internal Affairs figures show.

The Responsible Gaming Bill is currently before Parliament awaiting its second reading. Among changes the bill will make - if passed without changes - is a reduction of the number of pokie machines allowed on premises other than casinos from 18 to nine.

Gaming machine sites opened after October 18, 2001 would be affected.

Meanwhile, the gambling situation was worsening and record numbers of people were calling gambling helplines with addiction problems, Mr Macpherson said.

However, Internal Affairs spokesman Vince Cholewa said while more machines were coming into New Zealand many of them would be removed if the bill was passed.

Also, territorial and local authorities would be required to implement a gambling policy also backdated to 2001. The policy could be as severe as a "community veto" on gambling which would see any gambling site opened after October 17, 2001 close.

Mr Cholewa said licences for machines were issued annually, contrary to a Gambling Watch claim that they were permanent.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: sharechat-owner@sharechat.co.nz [mailto:sharechat-owner@sharechat.co.nz] On Behalf Of G Stolwyk
Sent: Tuesday, 25 February 2003 6:53 p.m.
To: sharechat.co.nz
Subject: Re: Re: Re: [sharechat] SLL and SKC

 

The SKC results are out and there has been some heavy posting on:

 

http://www.sharetrader.co.nz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17798&whichpage=2

 

That was page 2. Some very interesting stuff on page 3 as well.

 

Gerry