By not implementing a sinking-lid gambling policy, the Dunedin City Council has missed an opportunity to curb problem gambling in the city, welfare organisations say.
At a full council meeting this week, councillors voted to maintain the status quo and not implement such a policy, which would have stopped new poker machines and venues from being installed or established in the city.
The decision came after the gambling and TAB subcommittee sat in February and received 815 submissions, the majority of which were in favour of the policy.
Dunedin Methodist Mission was one of the groups which supported a sinking-lid policy and chief executive Laura Black was disappointed at the council's "morally ambiguous" decision.
The council's decision was partly based on the decrease in venues and gaming machines between 2004 and 2009, from 74 venues and 769 machines, to 48 venues and 599 machines, respectively.
It was also concerned with the number of organisations which received funding from gaming trusts.
However, Ms Black "would not be surprised" if the number of gaming machines stabilised and stopped dropping.
"It seems to us, council have missed an opportunity to draw a line in the sand on behalf of the poorest people."
The Methodist Mission did not accept grants from gaming trusts and while she sympathised with those which did, it should not be a reason to maintain them.
The policy will be revisited in two years and Ms Black said the organisation would again "submit vigorously" against it.
Catholic Social Services social worker Mike Tonks also made a submission for a sinking-lid policy and could not understand why the council did not agree with the majority of submitters on the issue.
"I think we have some responsibility as a society to provide some protection for people and their children."
He did not believe the benefit some community groups got from gaming trust funding outweighed the negative impact problem gambling had on society.
Many of the organisations applying for funding needed it in order to help problem gamblers.
"It goes round and round," Mr Tonks said.
Salvation Army Oasis Centre counsellor Chris Watkins said while he, too, was disappointed with the decision, there were positives to come from the process.
The number of submitters and councillors in favour of stopping problem gambling showed more people were aware of the issue, he said.
The Salvation Army planned to lobby the Government for changes to gambling regulations and for a local referendum allowing communities to have their say about machines in their area.
