Multiple reports on Twitter that Key’s grubby Sky City Bill will be a conscience personal vote. If true, I’m surprised, given the fragile majority Key has on this issue.
Now I guess we get to see if any Nat MPs have a conscience:
Thousands more face gambling harm
Thousands more people could experience gambling harm as a result of concessions for SkyCity in exchange for a new convention centre, documents show.
The Government today released papers discussing the potential harm of the deal after unveiling the final details of the agreement with SkyCity on Saturday.
The casino operator will build a $402 million international convention centre in Auckland, in exchange for an extension of its Auckland casino licence out to 2048, 230 more pokie machines, 40 more gaming tables and new cashless gaming technology.
Currently in New Zealand, there are 2800 gaming machines and 200 gaming tables, with more than 1600 machines and more than 100 tables at SkyCity Auckland.The concessions will increase nationwide pokie machine numbers by 8.2 percent, while table numbers will increase by 20 percent.
Discussing the potential harm of increased machine and table numbers in early 2011, the Department of Internal Affairs noted 2006/07 figures showing 87,000 adults experienced problems over the previous 12 months due to someone’s gambling. …Only a fraction of those affected by problem gambling seek help, and the cost of intervention services is only a fraction of the harm costs, which range from poor parenting to crime, lost productivity, family issues and suicide.
Update: This post originally red “conscience vote” and has been updated to “personal vote” thanks to the wisdom of I/S at NRT.
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