5 Nov 2013

Greens put up 10 changes to casino bill

1:25 pm on 5 November 2013

The Green Party has drawn up 10 amendments to a bill enacting the SkyCity convention centre deal which it says will reduce the harm resulting from increased gambling.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill comes up for its second reading in Parliament on Tuesday and will go through a clause by clause debate, when MPs will vote on any proposed amendments.

The bill would allow SkyCity to expand its gaming operations in return for building a $400 million convention centre in Auckland

The Green Party will attempt to strike concessions allowing the gaming expansion from the bill.

They will also try to include harm minimisation measures, for example, compulsory pre-commitment cards for gaming machines and setting time and spending limits for gamblers.

Co-leader Metiria Turei says another of the amendments would stop people being able to gamble all night.

"Closing it down from four o'clock in the morning until eight in the morning is just another small step we can take to make sure people take a break in their gambling so they're not there for an entire day spending money that they don't have."

Ms Turei says there are major flow-on effects from increased gambling such as more crime, abuse and mental illness, and the party's amendments are intended to mitigate these.