Gambling Policy Under Review

Thames-Coromandel district leads the country for the highest number of gaming machines and the second highest amount spent on them per head of population.



The Council is reviewing its gambling policy and seeking input from communities and individuals on the number of authorised pokie machines in the district. Submissions close on February 29.



TCDC Environmental Services Manager Craig Birkett says the council’s current policy limits the number of machines based upon the number of dwellings rather than the resident population.



“Because we live in a district with 48 percent of dwellings unoccupied for most the of year, this explains why we have the highest number of machines per capita. However this doesn’t explain why this district has the highest spend.”



He says this may be attributable to the high number of tourists visiting the area and spending money on gaming machines as a recreational activity. “But there is also a possibility that our resident population - which is only 26,000 - spends more on gaming machines than the rest of the country.”



The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand has concerns regarding this spend and the impact it may be having on individuals in the local community, he adds. “With a large absentee population and with figures being over a typically non visitor/tourist period, it is feared that the majority of this spend has come from permanent residents.”



There are 334 pokies currently authorised in the Thames-Coromandel District across 30 licensed venues. In the three months from July to September last year, people spent $2,610,264 on these machines throughout the district.



Anyone wishing to make a submission can visit www.tcdc.govt.nz  under consultations and submissions/draft policies to download a submission form or contact TCDC at Ph 868 0200.