A recommendation to roll over the city council's gambling policy is drawing fire from Jeanette Arnold, a counsellor at the Oasis Centre for problem gamblers.
'Bylaw councils have got to investigate the social impact of allowing Class 4 gambling, which is pokies, and TABs locally,” says Jeanette.

Jeanette Arnold, gambling counsellor

'Tauranga has this written into their policy, but they do not ever do anything to actually assess the social impact.”
In a previous review in 2003-2004 the council used overseas data and extrapolation as a desktop exercise, says Jeanette, mostly since there was only overseas evidence available and little in NZ.
But in May, the Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health brought out a ‘Guide for Local Authorities', specifically to provide a step-by-step guide to help councils address their gambling policies in this 2009/2010 cycle.
'Tauranga councillors seemed totally unaware of that guide and the policy writer at the council told me he had the document, but hadn't really read it all,” says Jeanette.
It means committee's decision to recommend a roll-over of the policy for review in March 2010 is not being made from an informed point of view says Jeanette.
'They have no way of knowing what the social impact of their local gambling policy is,” says Jeanette, 'They haven't done the work to find out. So how do they know it is okay to keep the same policy? They don't know that.”
There are currently 584 pokie machines in the city. There could be another 176, in 19.5 new venues. The limit is nine per venue.
The machine numbers are decided on a council-decided ratio of one pokie machine for every 147 people, including minors and other non gamblers.
DIA records show in Tauranga, for the year ending June 30, 2009, the pokie machines took $7,069,046.50.
'We'd rather they take some responsibility for the policies they have in place and review the social impact of them." says Jeanette.
Information on who the pokie players are is not available because the care agencies involved with the problem thought the council would be gathering that data as part of its policy review, says Jeanette.
'I know changing the local policy may be a drop in a big ocean (gambling) but at the counselling service end of the business we see desperate and very damaged people who have rapidly become addicted to the highly addictive pokie machine style gambling,” says Jeanette. 'Clients tell us they struggle to keep away as the venues are many.”
The decision on the council's gambling policy is required by staff. If a substantial review of the policy is to happen, work has to begin almost immediately because of the time required for public input before March 2010.
Meanwhile, problems gamblers are being asked to make Tuesday September 1 a gambling free day.
'Give gambling the cold shoulder, at least for one day,” says Jeanette.
'While you are doing that, you could ask your local councillors to carry out a social harm impact report and review their local gambling policy.
'If you want council to add your voice to reducing the number of gambling venues and gambling machines in your city, text your name and a contact number to Jeanette at 027 5113196, anytime between now and September 1st, or provide your name and a contact number at the Oasis desk at Bayfair Mall on 1st of September. A tally of contacts will be given to the council after gamble free day.”