A sinking lid policy on gaming machine numbers in Central Otago would be ineffective in reducing the harm caused by gambling, district councillors believe.
Despite the pleas of two organisations which made submissions on the Central Otago District Council's draft gambling and board venue policy, the council decided last week to confirm its draft policy, instead of tightening restrictions.
Submissions from the Salvation Army Oasis Centre in Dunedin and the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand asked for a sinking lid policy.
Eight submissions were received to the council's draft policy and three people asked to elaborate on their submissions to the council last week. Four written submissions supported the policy.
Bronwyn Powell-Grubb, a counsellor at Oasis, said gamblers led a double life and were very secretive.
Victoria Ravenscroft, from the foundation, said it was impossible to make the problem go away but there were ways of reducing harm, such as a sinking lid policy.
‘‘If you think there aren't these kinds of problems in your community, you are just deluding yourself,'' she said.
New Zealand Racing Board solicitor Jarrod True said he thought the council's policy struck the right balance.
There was no correlation between fewer gaming machines and less harm caused by gambling, he said.
A more restrictive policy would not not reduce problem gambling, but might encourage people to seek other gambling, including offshore internet and mobile phone-based gambling.
Cr Nigel McKinlay said the council had no control over many different forms of gambling. ‘‘The idea that you could create a sinking lid is just an illusion.''
Cr Stu Duncan said online gambling was major, so pokie machines were ‘‘the least of the worries. Pubs, where pokie machines are, are probably the most controlled environment.''Central Otago has 11 venues and 131 machines.
