Hi Alex,
Dont get sucked in by their press release.
The industry funds 100% of what they say they are going to do.
The Government contributes nothing to the cause.
Over the last 20+ years that the Gambling Act 2003 has been in force the industry levy (Problem Gambling Levy) has gone into the Government bank account to be administered by the Ministry of Health.
I have been involved in the Class 4 (pokies in pub, taverns, hotels and clubs etc) for the last 25 years.
I have made submissions every 3 years that they review what the next levy amount will be and nothing has ever changed.
The levy always funds the ambulances at the bottom of the cliff and never looks at what could be done to stop people from going over the edge.
Even the review just completed we (the Class4 industry) wanted them to fund technology that would assist staff in venues to monitor people playing the gaming machines. But no they have just funded more ambulances and staff to pick up the pieces.
Gambling in NZ to a large extent has profits returned to the community. That $81m will be $81m the community misses out on. The Government already collects a 20% gambling duty and GST (15%) on gambling profits collected by Inland Revenue (tax) Dept.
Regards
PJ.
