The Government could cut the number of pokies in pubs, and making the pokies that remain less inviting to potential problem gamblers. Photo / File
Rules around how many gaming machines should be allowed in Waipā and exactly where are back in the limelight.
In the coming weeks Waipā District Council will seek feedback on its present Gambling Policy, before deciding whether existing rules should be changed. The policy provides some controls on gaming machine
venues and TABs but does not cover all types of gambling.
Specifically, the council wants to know how many gaming machines (pokies) and TABs there should be in the district, where both should be allowed to be located, and if gaming machines can be relocated if a venue closes.
Only 232 pokie machines are allowed in Waipā, usually in pubs or clubs. There are 72 gaming machines in Cambridge, 36 in Leamington, 106 in Te Awamutu, and a further 18 in Kihikihi.
Most gaming machines are owned by corporate societies, which pay the venue to host them. The money spent on pokies goes back to the corporate society that owns them. By law, at least 40 per cent of the money spent on pokies (excluding clubs) must be returned to the community as grants.
