1081 days ago

We Say/You Say: Pokie Machines

Reporter Upper Hutt Leader

Hi Upper Hutt,

Should pokie machines be outlawed?

A city councillor has put forward a policy to ban new permits for pokie machines in Wellington City.

Councillor Tamatha Paul, representing the Lambton Ward, is pushing for a 'sinking lid' policy to all but cease new permits for pokie machines in the city. The motion has widespread support across the council table and is set to pass this Thursday.

New Zealanders lost $939 million in pokie machines in 2019 and $241m of that was paid out to community and sports groups. Between 30 and 60 per cent of money going into pokie machines was from problem gamblers and much of that came from low socio-economic communities, a paper by the Problem Gambling Foundation said.

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