NZ internal affairs minister announces changes to gambling sector

Tuesday 6th of October 2015

New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has announced a number of decisions affecting the gambling sector, including increasing gambling operator fees, a government press release said.

Dunne told the Hospitality NZ conference that while he was increasing some gambling operators’ fees and reviewing the minimum amount that gambling trusts must return to the community from class 4 gaming machines, he was also looking to a wider review of the sector.

Dunne said the government is concerned at the decline in gross proceeds from gaming machines over the past 10 years.

“Gambling proceeds provide a significant amount to community causes annually - $620 million in 2013/14, with 40 per cent or $250 million from pokies and 37 per cent from lotteries.

Some of the decline is an inevitable consequence of the significant reduction in gaming machine numbers in the last ten years, but it is not the whole picture,” he said.

The Minister has asked Internal Affairs to report on the reasons for the decline and future forecasts and impacts on community funding. Once this has been received, the Government will decide early next year what further steps are required.

Dunne also announced that the Department will conduct a six-week public consultation on the amount that trusts must distribute to authorised charitable purposes. The current minimum return to the community is 40 per cent of gross gaming machine proceeds, due to increase to 42 per cent by September 2018.