What information do we provide?
At PGF Services, we support council policy analysts by providing data and information in preparation for Class 4 gambling policy reviews.
This can be for a Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Statement of Proposal, or council reports.
We are here to make it easier to source information and meet the mandatory consultation requirements under the Gambling Act.
We provide:
- The latest data on the numbers of venues and pokies in your community
- The amount lost on pokies in your district over recent years along with a comparison of the national trend
- The loss per head of adult population in your district with a comparison of other TLAs in the district and the national loss per head
- The total number of clients who have presented at gambling harm support services in your district
- The amount returned to your community in the form of pokie grants
- The number of venues in low, medium, high or very high deprivation areas in your district
- Census data that identifies population groups in your district that are disproportionately impacted by gambling harm
- The latest research on gambling harm and the impact it has on communities
- Policy recommendations
The information provided to council policy analysts is evidence-based and founded on what is known about gambling harm across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Why do we advocate for a sinking lid policy?
A sinking lid policy is the best policy available to prevent and minimise the harm from pokies. We believe it doesn’t go far enough or fast enough but it does reduce the number of pokies over time.
Councils play an important role in addressing the harm caused by Class 4 gambling by adopting gambling venue policies which regulate the number and location of Class 4 pokies.
We strongly advocate for a sinking lid policy which includes the following three provisions:
1. A ban on any new venues – no permit to be given to operate any new Class 4 gambling venues in the Council area if that venue proposes having pokies, including TAB venues;
2. No relocations – if a venue with pokies closes for any reason, the Council will not permit the pokies to be relocated to any venue within the Council area, and;
3. No mergers – the Council will not permit any merging of Class 4 pokies to one venue under any circumstances.
Useful background information:
Class 4 gambling is pokies in pubs, clubs and TABs. Within six months of the Gambling Act being introduced, all councils were obliged to adopt a class 4 venue policy. The policy options available under the Gambling Act provide councils with some tools to control the number of pokies and where they are located in their communities.
A council is required to complete a review of its Class 4 venue policy every three years and, if the policy is going to be changed or replaced, the council is required to go through a consultative process. One of the purposes of the Gambling Act is to ensure community input into decisions about gambling in their area.
Class 4 gambling is characterised as high-risk, high-turnover gambling, and continues to be the most harmful form of gambling in New Zealand and the primary mode of gambling for those seeking help.
Pokies are particularly harmful because they allow continuous gambling. The short turnaround time between placing a bet and finding out whether you have won or lost, coupled with the ability to play multiple games in quick succession makes continuous gambling one of the most addictive forms of gambling available.
Useful links
The Gaming Machine Profits (GMP) dashboard report shows key quarterly statistics for Class 4 gambling (in pubs and clubs) in New Zealand, including GMP and numbers of approved venues and gaming machines licensed to operate, as at the last day of each quarter.
The data is provided by district (Territorial Authority) and at quarterly intervals from March 2015.
The Department of Internal Affairs publishes grants data and you can use the interactive tool to discover how much a community gets in the form of pokie grants. The website provides a national overview and also breaks down the grants data by Society and by district.
The Census data helps us to understand the population living in a particular district or region and we use it to calculate the loss per head of adult population on pokies in a particular district.
This is data about people’s access to gambling harm services and can be viewed by “clients assisted by territorial authority”. This is
Information to help local and unitary councils through the processes of reviewing, developing and applying gambling policies.