In 2013 Auckland Council agreed to a sinking lid policy for Class 4 pokie machine venues.
Under the Gambling Act 2003, Auckland Council must have its own gambling venue policy and set out whether the council will allow new venues to be established and if so, where they can be located. Gamblers in the Papakura area spent $1,759,727 on 198 machines, while in Manukau pokie machine users spent $2,710,110 on 180 machines. New figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) show South Auckland had both the largest number of machines and the highest pokie expenditure for the three months to June 30. And just over half of those seeking help are gaming machine users. But a new report to the council's Regulatory Committee illustrates the sheer scale of problem gambling in South Auckland.Īccording to the council report over half the people in Auckland seeking treatment for pokie machine gambling addictions are from South Auckland.
