Policy for sale

The Prime Minister is on the back foot – again.

The Prime Minister says there will be fewer pokies in New Zealand, despite the Government's deal with Sky City Casino to build a national convention centre in return for more gambling machines, because of a policy to reduce numbers.

John Key this morning defended casinos as a safer gambling environment despite five children being locked in a van outside Sky City Casino last month.

"In a casino they are in a better environment say than attached to a pub deliberating targeting low income people in South Auckland."

"In a casino they are in a better environment say than attached to a pub deliberating targeting low income people in South Auckland."

Casinos had more stringent conditions and so were more able to reduce the harm caused by gambling, he said. I don’t agree with this. Casinos are always, with a few exceptions, targeted at low income people. There are smatterings of high end gamblers, but the overwhelming majority of gamblers are low income people.

I struggle to see how John Key can claim a Casino is safer than the pub. Alcohol facilities are always attached to Casinos. The Casino managers aren’t stupid and they know that 74% of all gamblers drink while playing.

Sure, Casinos have a dress code. But unless you’re come fresh from the homeless shelter, you’re going to get in. Casinos don’t have a limit on what you can spend or how long you can spend in the Casino. The controls are limited. You can spend all night on the pokies pissing away your week’s wage.

An increase in gambling machines will increase accessibility and, in turn, increase problem gambling. This, like night follows day, will increase crime, poverty and family violence. For example, a woman whose partner is a problem gambler is 10.5 times more likely to be a victim of violence.

This is policy for sale. The Prime Minister looks disingenuous trying to spin it otherwise. This would almost be acceptable if he wasn’t selling harmful policy.