New Zealand region spends US$5m in Q1

Taranaki saw an increase in pokies operations during the first quarter of the year to US$5 million.

New Zealand.- New figures released this week revealed that gamblers in Taranaki, New Zealand, gambled approximately US$5 million in the first three months of the year that ended on March 31.

As Taranaki Daily News said, the branch president of Hospitality New Zealand David Stones, commented that pokie machines are a legitimate source of entertainment if used with responsibility. The 480 machines in the region totaled US$5 million, divided in New Plymouth, South Taranaki and Stratford, each machine collected US$10.675, On the other hand, Andree Froude, communications director of the Problem Gambling Foundation, said that these machines were the most harmful in the first quarter: “Unfortunately they are often situated in our more struggling communities, so there’s a lot of money being lost by people who can’t afford to lose it. They are a very harmful form of gambling and highly addictive machines.” The official said that 40 percent of the money lost was previously from people with gambling problems, and only 16 percent used it regularly. “That’s a huge amount of money being lost by a small number of people. Two out of five regular users of pokie machines are either at risk of being harmed or are already experiencing harm.”

Stones insisted that pokies contribute to the society, as 40 percent of the money spent in them went back to the communities: “The good thing about gaming machines in New Zealand is that it’s in a controlled environment,” he added.