Hutt City Council’s conflict of interest over pokie machines

The decision by Hutt City Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee to allow the maximum possible number of pokie machines in the city has been sharply criticized by a gambling issues lobby group.

GamblingWatch Co-ordinator Dave Macpherson – himself a City Councillor in Hamilton – said statements by Councillors and staff reports covered in the media “make it clear that Hutt City Council itself has a conflict of interest on this issue.”

“The Council itself is reported as getting ‘significant grants from pokie machines’ , so of course they would want to maximize their future income from this source by maximizing the number of machines in their community,” he said.

“To hear that Cr Margaret Cousins is concerned not to have public consultation on the issue as it might cause a public campaign against the already high pokie numbers in the City, amply demonstrates Councillors’ contempt for the public they serve.”

Mr Macpherson said he noted that this was a decision only from a Council Committee, that has to be reported back “and hopefully debated at a full Council meeting, where wiser heads may prevail.”

He also noted Councillors concerns that funding streams for local groups might be affected by reduced grants from pokie trusts, but commented that “perhaps Council itself should look at why local voluntary groups – and the Council itself - feel forced to turn to pokies for cash, when they have evidence that so many people are harmed by those machines.”

“We call on Hutt City residents to contact their local Councillors and demand full public consultation on this proposed policy back-down. Other Councils can consult their public, so why shouldn’t the Hutt?”

He also noted that local body elections take place later this year, and suggested that “Hutt voters should look at candidates’ record on issues like gambling policy and public consultation before voting.”

For the record, Hutt City currently has one pokie machine for every 124 adults (Dept of Internal Affairs figures), while Wellington City has one for every 177 adults and is currently discussing reducing that ratio to 1:300. Estimates are made that there are 1954 problem gamblers in Hutt City (Problem Gambling Foundation), and that $28M is lost annually into the 566 pokie machines in the city (DIA).

ENDS

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