100 signatures reached
To: Blair Cairncross Executive Director Gambling Commission
Say NO to More Pokies for Sky City Casino Hamilton
This campaign has ended.
We want the Gambling Commission to decline Sky City Casinos application for additional gambling machines on the basis of;
• Public sentiment
• Current council policy
• Harms to society
• Comparatively tiny returns to the community
This petition aims to send a clear message to the Gambling Commission, Sky City Casinos Limited and our elected representatives on the Hamilton City Council that the residents of Hamilton do not want and do not support Sky City Casino's request to the Gambling Commission for additional pokie machines.
Why is this important?
Sky City Casino Hamilton are requesting that the Gambling Commission allow an increase in the number of pokie machines in their Hamilton Casino. An additional 60 machines would bring their total to 399, almost half the machines in Hamilton. The Hamilton City Council’s sinking lid policy should see levels reduced not increased.
Hamilton City Council has no jurisdiction on the decision to grant the additional gaming machines but is one of only 4 groups invited to comment. Residents are not being given the opportunity to voice their concerns regarding Sky City’s request to Government for additional pokie machines.
In total Hamilton currently has 745 gambling machines.
- The revenue that Sky City Casino earned mostly from it's 339 pokie machines in the last financial year was approximately $39m
- $698,000 or 1.8% was returned to the wider Waikato community in grants.”
- Department of Internal Affairs figures show that the City’s other 406 pokie machines (with all the problems they also cause) had a combined revenue of approximately $25m
- $10.5m or 42% was returned to the wider Waikato community.
So whichever way you look at it, and even if you mistakenly thought pokie machines do no harm, 60 more machines at the Sky City Casino represent a very poor return for the community and goes against the well thought out policy designed to protect us from the expansion of gambling machines and their undeniably addictive attraction to many Hamiltonians.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/380237/hamilton-mayor-moves-to-block-sky-city-pokies-expansion
Addiction to pokies https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2018/01/whos-in-charge-of-michael/