The annual New Zealand Gaming Expo was opened yesterday by the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs Rick Barker. Held at the SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre and organised by the Australasian Gaming Machine Manufacturers Association (AGMMA), the 2-day trade exhibition and gaming expo conference provides the opportunity to see the latest gambling equipment, technology and services and to discuss gambling related issues. The Minister reminded those present at his opening speech that they should also take the time to think about what New Zealand’s Gambling Act is intended to achieve.

“The purpose of the Act is to ensure that the community benefits from the proceeds of gambling, that gambling harm is prevented and minimised, and that responsible gambling is facilitated. The community is our primary stakeholder group. Community interests include groups for whom gambling provides funds, problem gamblers and their families, and organizations that provide gambling services and research into the social effects of gambling.”

Stating that gambling providers should be responsible corporate citizens who operate on the principle ‘first do no harm,’ the Minister pointed out that for New Zealand the benefits of gambling must outweigh the costs, gambling related harm minimised and gambling related crime prevented. He also commented that he had been disappointed to see instances where a legalistic approach in corporate decision making is taken in meeting responsibilities, instead of recognising the Act’s objective.

“The Department of Internal Affairs’ role is simply to ensure that gaming machine proceeds are distributed to authorised purposes. It is up to Gaming Machine societies to decide where funds go and then to be accountable for those decisions. However, when societies retained this power with the passing of the Gambling Act it was based on the understanding that they would be very transparent about what they were doing. That community needs and priorities would be at the forefront of their allocation decisions. It is up to societies to justify to the community the priorities it has adopted and the grant decisions it has made.

“There are now far greater levels of community awareness about gambling. People want to know where the sector is going and how they can have a say on how the sector should be shaped in the future. Determining whether the benefits from gambling outweigh the costs is really a matter for the wider community. One of the most important aspects of the Gambling Act is that it gives our communities a voice. We all need to make sure we keep listening.” (E-03.05.08)

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