source: pixabay.comChristchurch City Council will keep its ‘sinking lid’ policy in place for at least another three years after it was renewed last week.
The move to keep in place one of the most restrictive pokie machine policies in New Zealand follows impassioned campaigning from problem gambling groups.
The policy has been in place since 2004 and is renewed every three years. The policy has been in place since 2004 and is subject to renewal every three years. It means that no new licences allowing gambling in pubs and clubs will be approved, and any existing licences cannot be moved to another location.
Currently, Christchurch has 82 pub and club gambling venues, down from 164 in 2004, and 1291 pokie machines currently in operation – 867 fewer than the 2158 machines in operation in 2004.
Despite the sinking lid policy, Christchurch still has more machines per capita than New Zealand’s average. Christchurch has 3.3 machines per 1,000 residents, Auckland has 1.9, and Wellington and Dunedin are on the national average of 2.9 machines per 1,000 residents.
Christchurch accounts for eight percent of New Zealand’s population, but the city accounts 10 percent of the total number of people who accessed gambling help in 2020.
Approximately $77 million was spent on pokie machines in Christchurch in 2019, with $18.7m distributed to organisations based in Greater Christchurch.
