There may soon be 16 more pokies in Wairarapa, despite a gambling policy that aims to reduce the number of gambling machines in the district.
All Wairarapa councils have adopted a "sinking lid" policy, which means no new gambling venues can be opened and any gaming machine not used for six months cannot be reactivated, replaced or transferred to a new site.
But the Revised Gambling Venue Policy 2012 does allow pokies if there are "extraordinary circumstances" - which is what two trusts have asked Wairarapa councils to consider.
Prime Community Trust (PCT) has made an application to South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) to "reinstate" seven pokie machines at Messines Restaurant and Bar, where the Featherston RSA has its clubrooms.
Meanwhile, Pelorus Trust made an application to Masterton District Council to install nine pokies at Masterbowl.
In April, SWDC councillors allowed PCT's application to pass the first stage.
Last Wednesday, submissions against the proposal were made by CareNZ, which has a contract with the Ministry of Health to address problem gambling in Wairarapa, and Regional Public Health.
Aiden Broughton, public health promoter at CareNZ, said pokies caused far more harm than the benefits they returned and the money often came from the most vulnerable members of society.
He said research showed poverty, violence, depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse could be linked with problem gambling.
"It's the kids at the low decile schools who don't have breakfast or lunch each day because Mum blew their grocery money on the pokies.
"Our beneficiaries, our pensioners, are losing vast amounts of money each week. When your economic base has been pulled out from beneath you there are dire consequences.
"We wonder why we have some of the social problems that we do in our community, problem gambling is a huge but hidden contributor."
As a former problem gambler, Mr Broughton is aware of the addictive effects of pokies, having been in thousands of dollars of debt when he was at university studying law.
Being sucked into the spiral of addiction and depression, he had a realisation when he saw a man lose $5000 on the pokies in a single play session.
Unfortunately, the majority of the funding went into sport, culture and recreation groups, not the groups most in need, he said.
Sports groups received the majority of funding, according to a 2011 Department of Internal Affairs report.
Mr Broughton said the gambling policy was unclear.
"The policy is poorly drafted, it's a sinking lid policy that has been misinterpreted.
"This has created a loophole allowing trusts to apply for new gaming licenses that it is not designed to permit."
South Wairarapa Mayor Adrienne Staples said she could not make much comment because she had a conflict of interest as a member of the Featherston RSA but said she did not think there was a loophole.
Tania Samphier-Skene of PCT said in a written application that the trust was not seeking to "extend or expand" gambling opportunities in the area.
PCT believed it had "extenuating circumstances" over a misunderstanding about when the machines were turned off.
Regional Public Health's Dr Jill Mackenzie said if the application were approved the ratio of machines to people in Featherston would be almost three times higher than the national average. If declined, it would still be more than twice the national average.
Scott Simmiss, chief executive of Pelorus Trust, said it wanted to put nine machines it previously operated at Aberdeen Restaurant, Masterton, into Masterbowl.
Because of missing revenue from the machines it had at Aberdeen, it was unable to help as many community groups as it would like to.
Nationally, Pelorus Trust made almost $15 million in 2011.
About a third was distributed to the community and the rest went to the Government, venue operators, administration and on prizes.
It met the government requirement that a minimum 37 per cent per cent of gaming proceeds must go back into the community - by 0.6 per cent.
Mr Broughton said groups could fundraise in more traditional ways, instead of relying on trusts.
Ministry of Health research says becoming a problem gambler is more likely the closer the access and availability to gambling venues.
The decision on whether SWDC will approve PCT's application will be made public by the end of the June.
Official figures show from January to March this year gaming machine profits totalled $1.7 million from Wairarapa.
That is almost $19,000, on average, going into pokies every day over those three months.
SWDC hearing committee chairman Mike Gray said statistics could be presented in many ways.
"With the figures, it doesn't say how many machines it was from. Was it taken out of just one community?" Mr Gray said.
"Was it from Featherston?
"I think those figures are thrown out willy nilly."
Committee member Brian Jephson said they had to weigh up a few technicalities.
"They [council officers] did say the policy may be rewritten to make it clearer."