No place for pokies, the ‘P’ of gambling

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016

In 2000 David Wilson QC (now District Court Judge Wilson QC) and I were the lawyers who represented the combined churches of Hamilton (the Catholic Church, Church of the Latter Day Saints, Anglican Diocese and the Islamic Centre) in opposing the granting of a casino licence for the Hamilton Casino.

We lost the initial hearing but won on appeal in the High Court. Unfortunately we were not ultimately successful in the Court of Appeal.

Pokie machines are the methamphetamine of gambling. They are highly addictive and their destructive influence is wide ranging.

In today’s society where young people and adults are glued to an interactive screen of one sort or another, the transition to a pokie screen is flawless and natural. Continue reading

Additional reading

News category: New Zealand, News Shorts.

Tags: Addiction, Casino ban

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