Presentations Heard On Proposed Sinking Cap Policy For Wellington Slots

While Wellington slot machines are being reviewed and presentations are being listened to, city councilors have been questioned about potential conflicts of interest.

Councilor Tamatha Paul proposed a sinking cap policy in August, which means that new slot machine licenses cannot be issued and the machines cannot be transferred to a new pub or owner if the venue closes, while the Council Gaming Venue Policy. .

On Thursday, councilors heard from people representing cultural, sports and religious organizations about community funding and the effects of gambling.

At the Strategy and Policy meeting, Pub Charity Limited CEO Martin Cheer expressed concern about some councilors’ connections to certain groups.

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Cheer said there were a number of conflicts that had not been adequately addressed.

Using slideshow posts, she turned her attention to Councilors Iona Pannett, Fleur Fitzsimons, and Rebecca Matthews.

In his presentation, he said he became “extremely concerned” when Matthews shared a photo online of her with Paula Snowden, the executive director of the Problem Gambling Foundation.

“Wellington City Council has to decide what it is about … the message would be that you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” Cheer said.

Councilwoman Jill Day, who is the chair of the Strategy and Policy Committee, told Cheer that she had been informed that there had been no conflicts of interest between the aforementioned councilors.

Fitzsimons said Cheer had made some “serious allegations.”

“I believe that, as a matter of transparency and good governance, these matters should be declared as a conflict of interest,” Cheer said.

Outside of the meeting, Fitzsimons said in his opinion that Cheer’s comments were an inappropriate attempt to intimidate elected representatives.

“Slot machines destroy families. Pub Charity Limited would be better off concentrating on addressing that and helping sports teams make a slow transition to other forms of funding, ”he said.

“Councilor Matthews is a diligent public servant and her support for the work of the Problem Gambling Foundation is entirely appropriate.”

Matthews said he considered Cheer’s comments “an attempt to undermine the democratic process.”

“Values ​​are not a conflict of interest. The publication is very innocuous and it is something that I do a lot. “

Other presenters such as Gerhart Berking of Mapu Maia, a Pasifika Game Support Service, supported the sinking cap policy and said that the Pasifika families affected by the game shared “this burden of damage” with the player.

Wellington Fijian Pastors Group, Anglican Advocacy, Wellington Youth City Council and recovering gamer Steven Woodward were others who supported a sinking cap policy.

“Please think of the devastation your council will cause if you put more slots in the pubs,” Woodward said.

Those who supported keeping the policy in its current form included groups such as the Wellington Jewish Community Center, TAB, Hockey Wellington, Capital Football The Lions Foundation, the Sri Lankan Association of New Zealand, and the Gaming Machine Association of New Zeeland.

Many mentioned the social benefits of community funding, the safety measures currently surrounding this type of gambling and the dangers of online gambling abroad.

Wellington City Council will continue to listen to the presentations next Thursday.