United plays trump card with gambling bill

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

Sweeping changes to gambling industry regulation were passed by Parliament yesterday despite opposition claims it will open up internet gaming.

The Gambling Bill was passed 62-52 with United Future's help. It introduces a raft of changes including banning new casinos and restricting the number of poker machines on a site to nine - half the present limit - if operators were licensed on or after October 18, 2001.

However, any venue not holding a gaming licence on that date must get one from its local authority.

Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins said that gave councils the chance to refuse to allow any new gaming machine venues in their area.

However, poker machine numbers have grown hugely in the past few years as the bill has progressed through Parliament. There are now more than 25,000 compared with about 20,000 in October 2001. Under the new law some will have to be removed.

United Future MP Marc Alexander told Parliament the law would reduce the number of machines by about 3000.

Labour's ruling council tried unsuccessfully this week to reverse late changes to the law that were agreed between the party and United Future.

The changes included allowing the Lotteries Commission to offer internet gambling, restricting banknote acceptors on pokies to $20 notes (until now there has been no restriction) and requiring consultation with the gaming industry when setting a problem gambling levy.

United Future also came under fire from party faithful and Christian-based social services organisations this week for selling out their core values and supporting changes which they claim weaken the bill's tough provisions.

But speaking from Mexico yesterday party leader Peter Dunne rejected the criticism, saying the bill would cut the number of gaming machines and offered a better process for setting the levy. "The current system was unworkable and this new law - which we are very proud of - does tidy things up."

Mr Dunne said he found the flak United Future had faced "amazing" when it was eight MPs negotiating with a Government of 52 MPs.

National, the Greens, New Zealand First and Act criticised the bill for allowing the Lotteries Commission to run internet gambling.

Green MP Sue Bradford said she found it incredible Labour and United Future were not only not going to ban internet gambling but were actually going to promote it.

She said the Government had "disgraced itself" by forging ahead, despite a plea yesterday from the International Gambling Conference being held in Auckland for all parties to reject the late changes to the bill.

However, Mr Hawkins said interactive gambling was not new to New Zealand - the TAB had run internet gambling since 1998.

He said the products the commission would sell on the internet were "relatively harmless".

The law would go a long way towards balancing the potential harm involved in gambling with benefits to the community, he said.

The act's four main objectives were to control the growth of gambling, reduce harm, ensure gambling raised funds for the community, and ensure community involvement in decisions about access to gambling.

Progressives MP Matt Robson said even though his party had voted for the law it did not fully address concerns about problem gambling.

Gambling Bill

* Establishes a commission to regulate the industry with the Department of Internal Affairs.

* Bans new casinos and expansion of existing ones, and gives councils some control over the licensing and location of venues.

* Retains local distribution of non-casino poker machine profits.

* Restricts the number of machines on a site to nine - half the present limit.

* Funds problem gambling services through a levy on operators.

* Abolishes the Casino Control Authority.

* Restricts internet gambling to the Lotteries Commission and restricts poker machine banknote acceptors to notes up to $20.