Venues take punt at helping addicts

Gaming venues throughout the Western Bay of Plenty have banded together in a new programme allowing them to help people struggling with the demons of gambling.
The Salvation Army Oasis Centre for Problem Gambling begins a "multi-venue exclusion" (MVE) programme this month, designed to stop a person from gambling anywhere between Waihi township and Pukehina Beach.
The MVE provides a person troubled by their own gambling behaviour the chance to sign a self-exclusion order - they effectively ban themselves from about 50 gaming venues throughout the region.
Under the Gambling Act 2003, managers of these venues document a person's exclusion from their gaming room for an agreed period of months.
If gamblers try to enter any gaming room belonging to a venue taking part in the programme, they will be asked to leave.
The Oasis Centre, venue or the Problem Gambling Foundation makes this possible by sharing the person's details, including their photo, with other bars in the programme. The idea is to help the person to take steps to reduce their problem gambling behaviour and seek help, said Salvation Army Oasis Centre public health worker Jeanette Arnold, who is also a co-ordinator for MVE.
Most gambling addicts will try a different venue soon after they have self-excluded in this way. The programme means gamblers are offered the opportunity to simultaneously seek exclusion at a whole range of venues within the locality or region, she said.
Several other cities, such as Rotorua, Queenstown and Dunedin have also adopted the MVE approach.
"The opportunity for a gambler to self-exclude from multiple venues is a boost for the 'host responsibility' concept and takes the pressure off those struggling with their gambling so that they can concentrate on getting themselves sorted," Ms Arnold said.
Most gaming venues in the region have agreed to take part but Ms Arnold hoped more would come on board.
"It is a step towards keeping local people aware of how to prevent harm and expect help," she said.
She encouraged anyone who felt they gambled too much to ask venue staff about the MVE process. "This collaborative process shows that we are all supporting each other to reduce risk of harm from gambling in our local communities."
Club Mount Maunganui manager Dave Oliver said he would be implementing the programme at the former Cosmopolitan Club and already had two people voluntarily "excluded."
"The club sees gaming as a social activity and we look to monitor our members, as it can be easy for them to become addicted," he said.
"We don't want our members to fall into that trap."
First Sovereign general manager Paul Jones owns gaming machines from 10 venues in the area and was a key organiser behind the launch of MVE.
"We get a hard time about the harm that gaming machines do and we acknowledge some people can't control what they do - gaming, drugs, drinking. As a responsible gambling operator it was a way for us to put our foot forward saying we are responsible."
Department of Internal Affairs oversees the running of the MVE.
A Department of Internal Affairs spokesman said the orders were a positive step towards preventing gambling harm.
"For people who have a gambling problem, this is one way they can ensure they get some control over themselves," he said.