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| NZ Gaming Magazine column Clubs NZ’s Dangerous Strategy Two recent media releases from Clubs New Zealand suggest that clubs are superior Class 4 gaming venue operators compared to other operators in the sector. This is a very dangerous strategy and does absolutely nothing to build public confidence in the sector. In taking this approach Clubs NZ would appear to be aligning themselves with the Problem Gambling Foundation. Indeed, the Problem Foundation have been subject to an audit by the Ministry of Health around the expenditure of funds from the Problem Gambling Levy and are also being questioned about some of the data presented to local authority hearings reviewing gaming policies. Clubs NZ might think that all their club venues are well run and comply with the law. No industry is perfect, and Clubs NZ and their members are no exception. It is noteworthy that the enforcement agencies are taking a closer look at the operation of clubs, and many in the commercial sector would say it’s not before time. Recently I was driving through a small provincial town and heard a radio advertisement for the local club inviting all and sundry along for a cheap Sunday roast. There was no mention of any requirement to be a member of the club or be a guest of the club. Furthermore, the price being charged for the roast was sufficiently cheap to have one ask the question of how it could be produced at that cost. It is of course illegal for any club to use the gaming machine proceeds to subsidise food and beverage. The latest data from the Department of Internal Affairs survey “Where do gaming machine proceeds go” also makes fascinating reading. Clubs in 2000 spent $36 million of the proceeds on themselves while distributing just under $1.6 million to the wider community. In 2005 the amount spent on themselves had risen to $42 million with the amount spend on the wider community dropping to just over $1.3 million. The whole Class 4 gaming sector, including clubs, needs to, and in the main does, operate professionally with integrity and within the law. As a wider gaming sector we need to work and speak with one voice to ensure that not only the industry operates responsibly but also that we are not inviting further government intervention. Bruce Robertson 12 October 2007 |
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