Entrenched poverty is a devastating downward spiral often exacerbated by a range of social hazards including gambling, debt, alcohol and other drug problems. Sadly, it is usually the most vulnerable children who pay the price of the recent proliferation of these hazards in low-income communities.
New Zealand has one of the highest concentrations of pokie machines in the world. These machines are particularly efficient when it comes to removing money from low income communities.
Every day in New Zealand ...
$35 million is gambled
$5.5 million is lost
118 foodbanks are accessed by families
(Source: Problem Gambling Foundation)
How many pokie machines are there in your area? In low income communities around the country? See Gambling Watch's document here.
Pokie trusts are an expensive way to fund social development. "For every dollar given to an essential social service by a pokie trust, about three dollars has been lost by someone into one of their pokie machines" (Dave Macpherson, Gambling Watch).
CPAG has written a backgrounder on social hazards and child poverty, available here.
A Global Peace and Justice Auckland (GPJA) campaign targets loan sharks and pokie machines. These 'Parasites on Poverty' have given the campaign its name.
Profits made by this kind of company often come at the expense of families in financial crisis - especially those trying to bridge the gap between low wages/low income and the money needed to keep a family above the poverty line, the campaign says.
The problem exists throughout New Zealand but is at its most acute in low income communities.
CPAG supports the POP campaign. CPAG does not accept any funding which comes from the proceeds of gambling.