Collins Judith: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Collins Judith: Gambling Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:611;Page:8464] 
JUDITH COLLINS (NZ National—Clevedon) 
: 
 This part contains the definition clause. It is a very substantial part and there are some significant points in it. 
One of the areas that I would like to look at is lotteries. Most people in this country would say that they know what a lottery is. They would say it is something that often the Government or the State runs it is like a raffle but bigger it is done once a week or maybe twice and it is something that is hardly likely to cause addiction. But in this definition clause the Government is actually removing that sort of definition of a lottery. Now it will not be limited to that; it will include the operation of pokie machines and it certainly will not exclude the use of remote interactive gaming. 
I do not have a problem with remote interactive gaming if it is done well responsibly and with proper controls. I do have a problem with the thought that the Government is promoting and selling Internet gaming in competition with the private sector or in this case to the exclusion of the private sector. Worse than that it is sort of like the Government deciding it will now sell cigarettes and alcohol because that way it will get more of the take. The role of the Government in the gambling industry is the role of a regulator and of a tax collector and that is it. The Government should not be out there competing with the private sector and doing all the things it can to encourage gambling; what it should be doing is regulating and collecting taxes. That is its responsibility. So that is one of the problems I have with this whole new definition of a lottery. 
One of the points made by the previous member speaking is that the Ministry of Health will now be in charge of problem gambling. Once I would have thought that was probably a good idea. When I was the chair of the Casino Control Authority I probably made submissions along that line. However having spent a year on the Health Committee I have absolutely no faith whatsoever that the Ministry of Health or the Minister of Health are the right people to be looking at problem gambling. I have absolutely no faith whatsoever that they will be able to help one problem gambler. 
I look now at the definition of a casino. I rejoice in the fact that the Government has finally listened to my pleas and those of the Casino Control Authority and the casinos and we have a definition that means that a casino is an organisation that is regulated as a casino—not a “kasino” which we have often seen. Registered casino operators object to the fact that they are damned all the time because of the practices of little operations with 18 pokie machines that call themselves casinos yet are not regulated by the same rules. 
There are lots of reasons it is important to look at the regulation of casinos. One reason is the huge increase in money-laundering in this country and overseas. Just the other day I read in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 a report on the increase in money-laundering and on the fear of it being a major operation in New Zealand. I could tell any member how to money-launder through a casino and I am sure there are many other people who could do that. I have looked at how money-laundering can be stopped in New Zealand. [ 
Interruption 
] It is a very serious issue. Darren Hughes who is out of his seat and making all sorts of rude interjections is probably not old enough to go into a casino or a gaming area but he should be aware that there is a massive methamphetamine situation in this country which the Government has ignored there is a massive drugs problem and we now have a situation where people constantly use casinos and every other opportunity they can to money-launder. I do not think that is very funny. The member Mr Hughes should be aware that it is a very serious issue. We do not need organised crime in this country. One of the great things about the present rules is that we have tried to keep organised crime out of the casinos.