Marino Murphy is lamenting the fact the $10m spent on pokie machines in Northland could have been used to feed and house a lot of families.
Photo / Peter de Graaf
Marino Murphy is lamenting the fact the $10m spent on pokie machines in Northland could have been used to feed and house a lot of families.
Photo / Peter de Graaf
Pokie machines sucked $10 million or nearly $109,000 a day from mostly vulnerable communities across Northland in just three months — a staggering amount that would buy more than a dozen new three-bedroom houses.
Figures from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) show Northlanders sank $10.1m on pokies in pubsand clubs in the last quarter of 2020, which was more than double that of the June quarter when they spent $4.2m.
The $10m works out at $108,695 a day, $4528 per hour, and $75 every minute over the 92-day period.
A land and house package in Whangārei costs up to $800,000 which means more than 12 average houses can be built for $10m.
In comparison, the Northland District Health Board had spent $10.6m fighting Covid-19 by the end of May last year while the Government allocated $10m for Kaitaia Hospital upgrade in early 2020.
Nga Manga Puriri manager and problem gambling practitioner Marino Murphy said $10m in three months on pokie machines was "a lot of money" that could be used to feed and house many families in Northland.
"Pokie machines have always been a problem because they are easily accessible and are everywhere. There's been an increase in online gambling, especially since Covid lockdown last year."
Murphy said gambling Aucklanders who moved up north continued with their habit, which exacerbated problem gambling in Northland.
"They still have the mindset that pokies will double their money and they can then get whatever they need. It could be as little as $3. There are ads everywhere, they trap them.
"It's hard to educate people and it boils down to poverty. If people get just enough in life, they'll stop gambling," Murphy said.
She said families were fragmented when there were problems with gambling — something Nga Manga Puriri was trying hard to address.
Societies that give grants from pokie machine profits in Northland include the Oxford Sports Trust, Four Winds Foundation, Grassroots Trust, Pub Charity, Rano Community Trust, The Lion Foundation, Pelorus Trust, Trillian Trust, Bluesky Community Trust, Grassroots Trust and Kaiwaka Sports Association.
Of the $10m, the amount ploughed back into the community isn't known as the DIA is yet to collate grants data for last year.
However, a quick calculation of grants approved by Oxford Sports Trust, Grassroots Trust, and Pub Charity in the December quarter shows $2.5m had been approved to various organisations, including sporting bodies and schools.
Northland Rugby Union received the most from Oxford Sports Trust for amateur sporting activities — 13 per cent or $200,147 of the $1.5m approved over that quarter.
Calls by Northland budget advisers over the years for financial literacy to be taught in schools has been rewarded as lessons on such matters now attract NCEA credits.
The School Leavers' Toolkit includes a website for high school students with self-directed learning about financial literacy, civics education, the key competencies workers need on the job, and information about personal wellbeing.
The toolkit includes information on how to enrol for further study or training, how to manage money, and the skills and attributes expected in the workplace.
They can also learn about money matters either in general class or as part of related subjects such as mathematics.
Northland Rugby Union received more than $200,000 in the December quarter from pokie machine proceeds.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Financial literacy classes teach students the basics of money management such as budgeting, saving, debt, investing, and giving.
That knowledge lays a foundation for students to build strong money habits early on and avoid many of the mistakes that lead to lifelong money struggles.
Whangārei and the Far North have had 19 gaming venues each, while Kaipara had seven at the end of last year.
There were 273 electronic gaming machines in the Far North, 269 in Whangārei, and 60 in Kaipara.
At the end of June 2020, there were 274 such machines in Whangārei, 273 in the Far North, and 60 in Kaipara.
The number of venues between June and December remained the same.
People having problems with gambling should seek help from the Salvation Army Oasis on 0800 530 000, through salvationarmy.org.nz, the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or gamblinghelpline.co.nz.
