Pokies 'steal' from the poor

Pokie machines are "Robin Hood in reverse", stealing from the poor to give to the rich.
The latest figures show Northlanders pumped more than $36 million into pokie machines in the past year. About half that - just under $18 million - was spent in the Far North, home to some of New Zealand's poorest communities.
Whangarei anti-gambling advocate Ngaire Rae says most money from the pokies - which are behind an estimated 80 per cent of problem gambling - is sucked from poor areas and fed to the rich.
"One of the things that gets me about problem gambling is that it's predominantly in poorer areas, and the money doesn't go back to those areas. For example, the money from most pokie machines in South Auckland ends up funding things on the North Shore, where more people have the ability to access other ways of funding."
Large sums of pokie money also went into the rich horse-racing industry, she said.
Now Green MP Sue Bradford is calling for the Gambling Act to be beefed up.
The spread of pokies over the past 15 years had devastated many families, while at the same time community, sporting and service groups had become dependent on them for funding.
"Parts of the community sector itself have become addicted to gambling, just as some individuals are," she said.
The Greens wanted to give councils the power to eliminate pub-based pokies and bring in a fairer system for distributing profits. Ms Bradford also wanted Government support for groups refusing to take pokie money.
Ms Rae said some Northland charities were now taking the moral high ground and refusing pokies' money.
"Quite a few of the churches are deciding not to. It's difficult, but there are other funding sources available that used to exist before pokies."
Ms Rae said pokie machines were designed to keep people coming back for more..
"The impacts on health are huge. It includes mental health as well as physical health, because people can do things like prioritise gambling over food and housing. There's research that shows up to seven people are affected for every problem gambler. It's likely to be more than that, but that includes immediate family, work colleagues and close friends.
"They talk about pokie machines being the crack cocaine of the gambling industry."
The Problem Gambling Foundation's Whangarei counsellor, Diane Matthews, said the message she wanted to put out on National Gamble-Free Day today was that help was available.
"Don't be afraid to come and talk to us. We don't get the number of referrals we'd like, so it's up to people to come and see us
"... There's so much guilt and shame around it, sometimes it's really hard for people to make that step."
The good news is that pokie numbers are dropping gradually across Northland, due to district council "sinking lid" policies.
The total number across the North fell from 841 to 797 in the year to June 30. While the Far North still has the lion's share - 390 machines - it also saw the biggest drop, down from 425.
• Counsellor Diane Matthews will be in Whangarei's CBD today offering advice and information about problem gambling.