Have a say on harmful gambling

Re ‘GMA urges public to look at other side of gaming' (SunLive, November 8).

The Gaming Machine Association says $14 million a year is received by clubs and community groups in the Tauranga district. In fact, from January 2017 to September 2018, approximately $8.5 million in pokie grants was distributed to the Tauranga district.

While many worthwhile organisations receive this funding, we too are urging the public to look at ‘the other side of gaming' and consider where the money is coming from rather than where it is going to.

Pokies in pubs and clubs are the most harmful form of gambling, with nearly 50 per cent of people presenting for help with a gambling problem citing pokies as the reason why. And they are mainly in our more deprived communities.

There is no evidence to suggest people will migrate from pokie machines to online gambling if pokie numbers decrease.

The social cost to children, families and the community from harmful gambling far outweighs any benefit gained from community funding. Gambling problems can lead to poor mental health, family violence, poverty, crime and child neglect.

Yes, it's time to look at the other side of gaming. We urge people to have their say about pokies in Tauranga district.

P Snowden, Problem Gambling Foundation of NZ (Abridged).

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