August 22, 2007

Charitable Gaming Association misleading councils

Claims by the Charitable Gaming Association that it is illegal for councils to introduce a sinking lid on pokie machines are deliberately misleading says the Problem Gambling Foundation.

CEO John Stansfield says that the Association is a master of the dark arts of spreading confusion and misleading the public.

"Most people now realise this is a sordid industry that sucks the heart out of communities and families. The CGA is reduced to turning up in provincial areas and treating local councils and residents like village idiots by putting outrageous spin on legal decisions.

"Yesterday they tried to tell the Whangarei District Council that gambling on pokies is legal and that councils may not reduce that activity in order to reduce problem gambling.

"I don't think it went down very well.

"It is simply not true. The purposes of the Gambling Act are about preventing and minimising gambling harm and approved forms of gambling are only legal if they do this.

"The Charitable Gaming Association tried to pull a similar stunt in 2005 by saying that actions that reduced their profits were illegal. The Regulations Review Committee of Parliament rejected their claims."

Mr Stansfield says that one of the purposes of the Act is to facilitate community involvement in decision making about the provision of gambling and that the only mechanism for this to happen is through local government policy hearings.

"The pokie pushers hate this because around the country community organisations and individuals are turning up in large numbers to say they don't want pokies in their neighbourhoods.

"Many councils are listening to what their residents are saying. When they get good information they tend to make good decisions.

"The CGA is reduced to making things up in a desperate attempt to hide the damage they are responsible for."

ENDS

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