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| NZ Gaming column Departmental Spin Over recent months there has been a lot of data which the anti gambling fraternity and the Department of Internal Affairs have welcomed as making a contribution to harm minimisation. Presentation figures for those seeking help have continued to drop, machine numbers have continued to drop and number of venues operating gaming machines has also dropped. What is fascinating is not so much the data but the spin that is put on the data in different circumstances and different contexts. The Gambling Commission quite rightly upheld the right for a tavern in Kilbirnie to position its gaming machines in such a way that they could be played by their patrons smoking in their outdoor smoking area. This lead to an uproar from the Problem Gambling Foundation and supported by the DIA who seem to be claiming that the drop in gambling harm, machine numbers and so on were a result of the changes to the smoking legislation in 2004. It was strongly argued that allowing smoking and gambling together in such a way would lead to a reversal of the current positive trends. On the other hand, with the release of the latest gaming machine statistics on numbers in venues, the Department of Internal Affairs have claimed that this is positive affirmation of the introduction of the Gambling Act and the consequent regulations. There is no doubt that the introduction of the smoke free bars reduced turnover through gaming machines. There is however, no evidence to suggest that this measure has been responsible for the reduction in presentations or indeed the drop in the number of gaming machines or in the venues which operate them. The increasingly strident and inconsistent comments from the anti gambling lobby and the Problem Gambling Foundation in particular are doing nothing for their credibility and nothing to add value to the debate on these issues. Bruce H Robertson 26 April 2007 |
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