Gambling Act falls well short

“The new Gambling Act falls well short of providing a comprehensive and consistent framework for gaming in New Zealand,” said Bruce Robertson Chief Executive of the Hospitality Association.

The Act fails to deliver a consistent approach between TAB, Lotto, and gaming machines, and all site operators will be disappointed that the Government has not listened to reason and provided for site operators being remunerated on a commission basis as are retailers of TAB and Lotto products.

Mr Robertson suggested that condemnation of United Future was ludicrous and their intervention has ensured that the distribution of proceeds will still be delivered by cost-effective charitable gaming trusts at the heart of the community, and not by politically correct bureaucrats, as was advocated by the Greens and the anti-gaming lobby.

United Future has also ensured that problem gambling levies would firstly be set at a level required to meet the problem, and secondly actually spent on assisting problem gamblers rather than disappearing into the Ministry of Health’s bottomless pit.

While the Gambling Act falls short of industry’s expectations and that of the extreme anti-gaming lobby, the Act has now been passed, gaming trusts can continue to deliver valuable fund raising to the community, and there is now a robust process for assisting problem gamblers, concluded Bruce Robertson.

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