Slot machines to warn gamblers
2005-09-01 14:19
Wellington - Slot machines in New Zealand will interrupt gamblers every 30 minutes to flash up signs telling them how much they are losing under a new law announced on Thursday.
The signs, part of a government campaign to reduce the social harm caused by excessive gambling, will be displayed for at least 15 seconds, and gamblers will not be able to turn them off, according to department of internal affairs spokesperson Andrew Secker.
There are nearly 22 000 so-called poker machines in New Zealand casinos, bars and clubs and it will be mandatory for all to have the pop-up on-screen messages telling punters how long they have been playing and how much they have lost or won.
Official figures show the four million New Zealanders lose about NZ$2.04bn a year on all forms of gambling and the Green Party, which has campaigned for a clampdown, says addiction to slot machines is the biggest problem. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA