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Archived 2005 Gambling Policy

Sue Bradford MP

Note: This was the policy released for the 2005 election. An updated policy for the 2008 election will be released shortly.

Read the Gambling Policy Summary.

Introduction

The Green Party stands for a sustainable social, economic and physical environment. The proliferation of gaming opportunities and the associated increase in spending by New Zealanders on gambling over recent years is socially and economically unsustainable.

Social justice, democracy and healthy communities are under threat by the unrestrained growth of the gaming industry.

Social justice is threatened by the industry as it takes away money from one group, predominately the one that can least afford it and redistributes this wealth in a manner that is unfair and inequitable.

Democracy is threatened when communities have casinos imposed upon them, despite the objections of people in those communities.

Healthy communities are threatened when people from families that are already struggling to survive get caught up in the detrimental effects of gambling.

Specific Policy Points

The Green Party will:

  1. Conduct a full social, economic and environmental impact study on the effect of the gaming industry on all aspects of life in New Zealand.
  2. Develop a national database to monitor the economic and social sustainability of all forms of gambling:
    1. Support this through an independent research programme that ensures future decisions can be based on facts and high quality analysis.
  3. Establish an independent regulator to oversee the entire gaming industry, a regulator who is free from the current conflicts between policy advice, enforcement and the preservation of a number of Government funding streams.
  4. Place a cap on the number of gaming machines licensed in New Zealand as at the date of the release of the Gaming Review (October 17, 2001).
  5. Support the government moratorium on issuing any new casino venue licences and public input about the future of existing casino whose licences come up for renewal.
    1. When the existing casino venue licences come up for renewal, the Green Party supports the right of communities within the territorial authority area in which the casino venue is located, to vote in a binding referendum on the future of the casino.
  6. Prohibit the advertising and promotion of internet and interactive television gambling.
  7. Require the potential impact of all substantially new forms of gambling, or major amendments to existing forms of gambling, be comprehensively researched and require a legislated amendment to the Gambling Act before their introduction into New Zealand.
  8. Ensure gaming operators pay the full costs of mitigating the harm caused by their products, by imposing a levy on gaming turnover that must be paid to problem gambling support services run independently of the gambling industry.
  9. Provide for genuine consultation with local residents before a new gambling venue can be established in their neighbourhood or before variations are permitted in the terms of existing gambling venue licences.
  10. Give territorial authorities the power to reduce or phase out the number of gaming machines operating at an existing venue, in a specified area, or in their district after appropriate consultation and impact assessments have been carried out.
  11. Oppose political parties benefiting from the profits of the most addictive forms of gambling, including gaming machines and casinos.
  12. Educate the public about the risks of gambling and help them make informed decisions about gambling.
  13. Review gambling advertising standards, particularly in terms of their impact on children.
  14. Establish a fair and transparent process for the distribution of gaming proceeds so that all parts of the community sector have an opportunity to access the funds.
  15. Increase government support to organisations that do not accept funding from the proceeds of gambling.
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