Skycity Increases Focus On Harm Minimisation

28 November 2005

Skycity Increases Focus On Harm Minimisation

The appointment of Debbie Edwards to a new senior role as Harm Minimisation Manager confirms SKYCITY’s commitment to minimising gambling related harm.

Debbie Edwards was formerly Project Leader for Problem Gambling at New Zealand’s Ministry of Health. At SKYCITY Debbie will ensure that the business maintains its focus on being up-to-date with all new and significant harm minimisation research, policy, and best practice, to ensure that as a gambling operator, SKYCITY is at the forefront of harm minimisation.

She will work with government agencies and researchers and complement SKYCITY’s Host Responsibility team’s ongoing liaison with communities, public health and treatment services.

SKYCITY’s General Manager Public Policy, David Kennedy, said SKYCITY wants to keep improving its harm minimisation initiatives. “SKYCITY recognises that gambling is a public health issue, and believes that it has an important role to play in minimising harm. SKYCITY wants to ensure that all its customers gamble safely and responsibly, and understands that this is consistent with the long-term sustainability of the business.”

“Debbie’s appointment will assist SKYCITY in understanding leading-edge international research and best practice on minimising gambling harm. We can then translate that knowledge into how we relate to our customers,” David Kennedy said.

“We see this as potentially driving continuous improvement to customer programmes, including improvements to staff training on how to recognise, monitor and intervene where customers may be starting to experience problems.”

SKYCITY is a member of the Harm Minimisation Expert Advisory Group jointly convened by the Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

ENDS

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