Poker machines funding NZ community

2007-05-15 17:30:00

Community groups in New Zealand are benefiting from gamblers' willingness to play on poker machines across the country, it has been revealed.

Charity Gaming Association president Paul East has said that a figure in the vicinity of $300 million has been paid out by fundraising organisations that operate poker machines during the past 12 months.

Recipients of the proceeds included schools and events centres, with sports facilities being upgraded and new computers provided for classrooms in the process.

The benefits lead to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders benefiting every year, Mr East noted, according to the NZCity News website.

Figures from 2005 show that poker machines across New Zealand had an annual turnover of $14.4 billion.

However, some have argued in the past that revenues were being directed towards sporting groups rather than specific community organisations - $125 million went to sports in 2005, compared to the $90 million which went to community groups.


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