Local spends more than $20k on pokies in six months

The Rotorua Lakes Council wants to protect people from the harm of problem gambling. Photo/File

One Rotorua person spent more than $20,000 on pokie machines in a six-month period, a new survey has revealed.

Rotorua Lakes Council will meet todayto discuss recommendations to reduce the harm of problem gambling in the district under the council's Class IV Gambling and Board Venue Policy.

The meeting starts at 9.30am in the council chamber and is open to the public.

According to an agenda report by the council's senior policy advisor Rosemary Viskovic, a recent independent community survey found while pokie machines were the sixth most popular form of gambling in the district, the average amount spent on them was the highest.

The most popular form of gambling was "entering a New Zealand raffle like Lotto" - 67 per cent, followed by entering a competition or buying raffle tickets at 38.9 per cent and buying a scratch ticket like Instant Kiwi at 30.2 per cent.

Only 40 respondents of 496 surveyed, 8.1 per cent, had played a pokie machine outside a casino and of the respondents, the average spend over a six month period was $435.38.

The minimum spend was $1 and the highest $20,870.

Of those surveyed 81 respondents, 16.3 per cent, said they had been impacted by a problem gambler.

The council's current policy has a cap of 380 on the number of gambling machines in the district, sets the number of gambling machines allowed per venue, allows for the relocation of gambling machines between venues when a venue closes and imposes criteria and conditions about where gambling machine venues and TAB Board venues may established.

As at March there was one TAB Board Venue in the district, and 26 Class 4 gambling venues licensed to contain 389 gambling machines.

Council officers recommend council adopt a "sinking lid" and "no relocations policy", the report stated.

"Although the RLC Gambling Policy had the effect of significantly reducing the number of venues and gambling machines in its first five years of operation, the reductions have been far less in the last five years.

"Indeed, the number of venues and gambling machines has remained at around the same level since 2010."

If councillors agree to the changes the full policy will go out for public consultation at the end of the month.

At the meeting, councillors will also discuss draft statements of intent for council-controlled organisations - InfraCore Ltd (the former Castlecorp), Terax Ltd Partnership, Rotorua Regional Airport Ltd and Rotorua Economic Development Ltd.

In the confidential section councillors will discuss another request by the Polynesian Spa to increase its admissions charges.

Gambling in Rotorua
389 of 496 respondents, 78.4 per cent, took part in some form of gambling over a six month period
Most popular was Lotto at 60.7 per cent
40 people, 8.1 per cent, had played a pokie machine outside a casino
Average six month spend was $435.38
Highest six month spend was $20,870
The 40 respondents spent $56,512 in a six month period playing pokie machines
As the sixth most popular form of gambling, pokie machines had the highest average spend over the six month period
Rotorua Residents Gambling Survey 2017