The New Zealand Government has announced new changes to the establishments hosting so-called poker machines in an effort to address and reduce the potential harm inflicted on customers. As revealed by the authorities, the latest overhaul in the sector is set to come into effect as of June 15th, 2023.
Barbara Edmonds, the Internal Affairs Minister of the country, recently described electronic gaming machines, or pokies, as one of the most harmful forms of gambling that currently exist in New Zealand. As she further noted, poker machines could have a detrimental impact not only on gamblers themselves, but also on their family members, friends and even on entire communities.
Ms Edmonds shared that the planned changes which are set to be imposed on New Zealand’s clubs, pubs, and TAB NZ venues will be introduced gradually over the course of the next six months, in order to give the local gambling sector enough time to adopt the most important layout regulations regarding the overhaul and train employees.
The latest changes, which have been unveiled by the New Zealand Government at the beginning of the month, are aimed at reducing the negative effects and gambling-related harm faced by local customers. As part of the planned overhaul of the country’s gambling regulations, three more acts are set to be recognised as offences. They are set to come into effect in an effort to ensure proper enforcement of regulation in gambling advertising and branding requirements.
Pokie Venues Should Better Recognise Gambling-Related Risks
Ms Edmonds has shared that poker machines have been the biggest driver of people seeking help for gambling-related harm across the country every year. This is exactly why the Government decided to bring some changes in order to make sure venues better recognise potential risks associated with gambling and minimise possible gambling-related harm.
For years, gambling addiction rates have been on the rise among New Zealand residents. In order to battle this unfortunate trend, the country’s Government is now unveiling not only stricter rules for the industry but also new awareness campaigns and training for employees. Some of the training courses that employees are supposed to pass involve workshops on how to recognise signs of gambling addiction and gambling-related harm, communicate with gamblers, and advise them properly for getting professional help if they show any signs of problem gambling behaviour. These measures are planned to come into force as of September 1st, 2023.
A bunch of other requirements are set to be put into action as of December 1st. Some of these measures include providing local poker machine venues employees with the right to monitor ATMs from the main bar or service area of the establishments. The Government is also likely to impose some limits on poker machines’ visibility from outside of New Zealand pubs and clubs, so local residents, and problem gamblers in particular, are not lured into these venues.
As mentioned above, all staff members of such venues will have to undergo the necessary training, with reports on suspicious or problem gambling activity set to be reviewed by the manager on a weekly basis.
- Author
Daniel Williams
