Dogged by corruption allegations and back-room inducement deals, pokie trusts could be set for their biggest shake-up in years.
The private member's Bill by Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell proposes to phase out the pokie machine trusts, and ensure profits are returned to the communities where they are taken from.
The Gambling Harm Reduction Amendment Bill, which was drawn out of the parliamentary ballot this month, would also introduce measures to reduce problem gambling.
Mr Flavell said he was driven to introduce the Bill after seeing the impact gambling had on families, not just Maori ones, in his community.
"We want to do something about it."
However, it was the well-publicised rorts involving pokie trusts, such as pokie proceeds going towards the racing industry, which made him push for a more comprehensive revamp of the industry.
Mr Flavell said he would like to see greater transparency in the distribution of grants following revelations some sport and racing clubs had worked with trusts to grab greater shares of pokie machine grants.
The Maori Party would propose pokie trusts be replaced by regionally focused organisations, but that was yet to debated, he said.
While he conceded phasing out trusts could lead to less money returned to the community, it could be offset by a more efficient distribution system and a reduction in the number of problem gamblers.
Asked what parliamentary support the Maori Party could expect for his Bill, Mr Flavell said it was not yet known if the National Party would support the Bill.
Internal Affairs minister Nathan Guy told the Otago Daily Times: "We're considering the Bill. Caucus will be discussing it and making a decision within the next few weeks".
Problem Gambling Foundation acting chief executive Graham Aitken welcomed the Bill, saying it would be a "big shake-up" for the industry.
"We have seen enough rorts ... the system is broken."
