Dunedin will retain a policy that has seen gambling machines decrease in number in the past few years, despite arguments for a "sinking-lid" policy proponents say could help further minimise the harm the machines cause.
But the chairman of the subcommittee that made the decision, Cr Michael Guest, said if the decision were his, he would get rid of the machines.
"If I was a minister of the Crown I would have no hesitation in banning them overnight," Cr Guest said yesterday.
Cr Guest said the subcommittee chose not to enforce the sinking-lid policy because it believed it would have no further effect on the decrease in the number of machines in the city.
He said he thought the New Zealand community would support a ban of the machines, and pick up what he said was the tab of up to $350 million given to sporting and community groups from gaming money.
The subcommittee sat in February to hear submissions on the council's gambling and TAB venue policy, and a report to a council meeting on Monday has recommended no change to the policy.
It has, though, recommended the policy be revisited in two years, rather than the three years required.
The subcommittee of Crs Michael Guest, Fliss Butcher, Colin Weatherall and John Bezett received 815 submissions on the issue, the vast majority of which were in favour of a sinking-lid policy.
A sinking-lid policy would mean a prohibition on all new sites, and as the number of venues or machines fell, there would be no new approvals for either.
Council staff recommended the status quo.
Since the present policy was introduced in 2007, a steady decline in venues and machines has occurred, but opponents of the policy have noted many venues are in deprived areas of Dunedin where people are at greater risk of developing gambling problems.
The subcommittee, like its 2007 predecessor, heard some emotional arguments about the lives ruined by gambling addiction, but also from the trusts that provide funds for sporting organisations, and the health and education sectors.
In the report, subcommittee chairman Cr Guest noted there were "diametrically opposed" arguments at the hearing.
Figures showed Dunedin had 74 venues and 769 machines in 2004, but by 2009, those numbers had dropped to 48 venues with 599 machines.
"It is beyond question that gambling causes an extraordinary amount of suffering to a small number of people in the community."
The subcommittee sympathised with those people, but did not believe a sinking-lid policy would have any greater effect than the present policy.
"However, it does believe that gambling in the district requires constant monitoring, and therefore recommends that the policy is reviewed after a further two years."
Cr Guest said if there was any change to the decrease in the number of machines, the council would revisit the issue sooner.
