Skip to main content

Sinking Lid Pokie Policy Will Not Be Implemented in the Waipā District

Recently updated on August 20th, 2019

It seems that the Waipā District Council does not believe that the sinking lid rule should be added to the active gambling policy in the municipality. This comes after a committee meeting was held to determine whether or not amendments should be made to the current governing policy.

Only two members of the committee voted in favor of adding the sinking lid policy to current regulations, stating that poker machines may generate more harm than good. Additionally, they said the tax generated from these games was often only directed to certain groups within the community. It was suggested that while some groups may profit through existence of gambling machines in the area, there are a load of vulnerable people, such as children, at risk of being hurt by not doing anything.

waipa-district-rejects-sinking-lid-policy

Sinking Lid Policy: How Does It Work?

The policy aims to keep the number of gambling establishments under control and asserts that if an establishment that featured poker machines shuts down, another venue will not automatically be given the go-ahead to begin trading. This rule remains true even if there is now a deficit in how many active gambling establishments are allowed to be operating in a particular area.

Currently, the Waipā district allows for 15 gambling establishments to operate in the municipal area, and the number of poker machines is capped at 232 with only 228 operating at the moment. Without the introduction of the sinking lid policy, the municipality is free to give another venue a license that will allow them to have four pokie machines in the venue.

Poker machines have been a controversial topic in New Zealand for some time now. Many anti-gambling groups are worried about the amount of harm caused by the state’s most popular form of gambling, especially as it is so easily accessible.

Last year, New Zealanders spent near NZ$1 billion on pokie machines and only 43% made it back into the community in some way. However, these figures do not relay the gambling harm wrought on individuals and their families.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Waipā District Council and others across New Zealand will adopt the policy sometime in the near future.

Other recent news stories:



Related Posts

Impact of Sports Betting Legalization in the US

legalization of sports betting

Recently updated on May 3rd, 2019Sports Betting legalization is continuing to expand in the United States. Radio companies in the country have said the recent moves are providing a much-needed economic boost in the broadcasting field. Up until recently, sports betting in the United States were considered illegal. There have been plenty of changes, however, […]

New Advertising Gambling Code and What it Means for Kiwis

Nw Zealand Advertising Standards Authority

Recently updated on July 12th, 2019The new Advertising Gambling Code was announced among a flurry of gambling-related reforms. The new gambling code, which affects both casino website operators and NZ online gamblers, will start being enforced on 1 August 2019. Released by the New Zealand Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) in April, the code sets a […]

Kiwis Spent NZ$648 on Gambling in 2017/8 Financial Year

Recently updated on March 6th, 2019The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) released the gambling figures last week Thursday revealing that Kiwis spent NZ$2.4 billion on gambling in 2017/8 financial year. When broken down, it means that one Kiwi gambler would have spent around NZ$648 on gambling. The figures were higher than the previous financial year […]