Gambling bill changes almost finalised but not yet public

The final shape of new gambling legislation is being negotiated between political parties after the Government partly rejected a parliamentary committee's recommendations.


Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins has confirmed the Government would propose amendments to the Responsible Gambling Bill when it was debated in Parliament.

The bill overhauls existing laws and was intended to limit the growth of pokie machines.

Many small non-profit organisations feared the current system of regional trusts handing out grants would be replaced with profits being centralised and distributed through an agency.

The Greens wanted a new agency to give greater emphasis to social justice issues than the current sports and community orientated projects.

The Government has instead been in talks with United Future, talks likely to ease the fears of charities.

United Future MP Marc Alexander said his party's support still depended on the Government taking an even handed approach.

The Government could not afford to "fill the void" if it banned pokie machines.

"We cannot ban gaming machines, yet we must maintain a sensible and responsible approach to some of their harmful effects," Mr Alexander said.

Future support for the bill was dependent on a "fair and open process" on setting the problem gambling levy paid by operators and no centralisation of profits, he said.

Mr Alexander told NZPA that he was not ready to discuss the final version of the bill as talks were in their final stages.

The committee has made changes to allow local authorities to set pokie machine numbers and where they operated. There would also be new requirements for charities to disclose how their grants were allocated.

As currently written, the bill prevents the expansion of casinos and regulates pokie machines in pubs and clubs.

Limits would be imposed on the number of machines but pubs and clubs operating when the bill was introduced in October 2001 would be allowed up to 18 machines.

New operators would be allowed only nine machines.

A compulsory electronic monitoring system for pokie machines would be installed at a cost of up to $9.2 million with a continuing operating cost of up to $5m a year.

The monitoring system would be funded by a levy on gambling operators. The system would ensure that takings records were accurate and that correct taxes were being paid.

Green MP Sue Bradford said she was unhappy about the direction of the bill.

Pokie parlours had been placed deliberately in every nook and cranny of lower income neighbourhoods, Ms Bradford claimed.

"This bill, despite paying lip service to community controls, will only affect around one-fifth of pokie machines - the 5000 machines whose venues were licensed after October 2001," she said.