Bay Harbour: May 27, 2020
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PAGE 6 BAY HARBOUR<br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Wednesday <strong>May</strong> <strong>27</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
News<br />
Concerns problem gambling<br />
could rise under Covid-19 climate<br />
With financial hardship<br />
and unemployment<br />
on the rise as a result<br />
of the Covid-19 crisis,<br />
could problem gambling<br />
follow suit? Louis Day<br />
investigates<br />
THE NUMBER of people on<br />
the job seeker benefit across<br />
Canterbury rose by 4.8 per cent<br />
last month compared to the same<br />
period last year.<br />
The situation is likely to worsen<br />
with the city’s economic development<br />
agency ChristchurchNZ<br />
forecasting<br />
up to 36,500<br />
jobs will be<br />
lost across the<br />
region over<br />
the next 12<br />
months.<br />
A recent<br />
Dr Ekant Veer<br />
survey from<br />
the Canterbury<br />
Employers’<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
showed 63 per cent out of 470<br />
businesses across the region were<br />
experiencing “significant financial<br />
impacts” from Covid-19. The<br />
survey also showed 30 per cent<br />
of businesses believed their staffing<br />
numbers would have to be<br />
reduced by more than 25 per cent<br />
in order to survive.<br />
Canterbury University professor<br />
of marketing Dr Ekant Veer,<br />
who closely studies social change<br />
and consumption patterns, said<br />
research showed there was a link<br />
between problem gambling and<br />
financial hardship.<br />
“We know that people who<br />
are facing financial hardship in<br />
general, not necessarily who are<br />
unemployed, are more likely to<br />
gamble. As we see a society in<br />
where everyone’s incomes are<br />
taking a hit we may see gambling<br />
rise as a result of that,” he said.<br />
Statistics show gambling in<br />
New Zealand has been on a<br />
steady incline for the last nine<br />
years.<br />
SPIKE: The financial hardship brought on by Covid-19 restrictions and economic downturn is<br />
expected to bring a spike in problem gambling.<br />
PHOTO: GETTY<br />
In 2011 New Zealanders spent<br />
$2 billion on gambling. Last<br />
year it had increased to $2.4 billion.<br />
The most popular form of<br />
gambling last year was gaming<br />
machines outside of casinos at<br />
$924 million which was followed<br />
by the $616 million spent inside<br />
of casinos.<br />
Salvation Army Oasis Centre<br />
for Problem Gambling team<br />
leader Graham Payne expected to<br />
see a spike in gambling as restrictions<br />
eased, with a particular<br />
concern over pokie machines<br />
within pubs and bars. He has<br />
helped problem gamblers with<br />
their addictions since 1992.<br />
“When people who have got<br />
gambling issues haven’t done it<br />
for a while there is going to be<br />
that catch-up phase, that is how<br />
they operate, ‘I haven’t done it for<br />
a while I need to catch up I have<br />
saved all this money.’ I feel that<br />
issues could really increase over<br />
the first three to six months with<br />
the pubs reopening,” he said.<br />
Mr Payne had also witnessed<br />
an increase in online gambling<br />
over the lockdown period and<br />
expected it to continue even as<br />
other forms of gambling are<br />
made available.<br />
He said early signs of gambling<br />
becoming an addiction were that<br />
Andrée<br />
Froude<br />
you were spending more time<br />
and money gambling than<br />
intended, starting to lie about<br />
your behaviour, constantly<br />
thinking about<br />
gambling,<br />
chasing your<br />
losses, isolating<br />
yourself from<br />
loved ones and<br />
blaming others<br />
for your problems.<br />
Problem<br />
Gambling<br />
Foundation spokeswoman<br />
Andrée Froude echoed Mr<br />
Payne’s concerns around<br />
GAMBLING ADDICTION<br />
SERVICES<br />
THE SALVATION ARMY<br />
OASIS SUPPORT<br />
People with an addiction<br />
and those being affected<br />
by it. Services are free and<br />
confidential.<br />
Phone: 03 365 9659<br />
or 0800 53 00 00<br />
Salvationarmy.org.nz/oasis<br />
PROBLEM GAMBLING<br />
FOUNDATION<br />
Help is free and confidential<br />
to anyone affected by<br />
gambling harm.<br />
Phone: 0800 664 262<br />
Email: help@pgf.nz<br />
Trained counsellors are also<br />
available on live chat from<br />
8:30am to 5pm, Monday to<br />
Friday at: www.pgf.nz<br />
pokie machines.<br />
“Pokies are the most harmful<br />
form of gambling in New<br />
Zealand. The majority of people<br />
that seek help for a gambling<br />
problem do so because of pokie<br />
machines,” she said.<br />
The foundation is currently<br />
urging the Government to cut<br />
back the country’s pokie machines<br />
in coalition with The<br />
Salvation Army and Māori health<br />
agency Hapai te Hauora.<br />
Ms Froude said the main reason<br />
behind this was to reduce the<br />
reliance community groups have<br />
on grants from pokie trusts,<br />
but also to reduce gamblingrelated<br />
harm across the country.<br />
A letter from the coalition to<br />
Internal Affairs Minister Tracey<br />
Martin said the Government<br />
could easily replace the $242<br />
million worth of pokie grants<br />
from within its own funds and<br />
argued the shutdown of pubs<br />
and pokie machines due to the<br />
pandemic presented a “golden<br />
opportunity” for an overhaul of<br />
the system.<br />
WINNIE<br />
BAGOES<br />
THE ORIGINAL GOURMET PIZZA BAR<br />
We Are So Excited To Be<br />
OPEN AGAIN!<br />
2 WATERMAN PLACE, FERRYMEAD (OFF FERRY ROAD) PHONE03 376 4900 WWW.WINIEBAGOES.CO.NZ
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