The decision to stop accepting money from gaming trusts in April was the correct one, says Methodist Mission general manager Laura Black.
"I can sleep easy at night."
The Dunedin social services agency decided to stop applying for funds from gaming trusts "after a growing discomfort with the industry".
"The idea of having a social worker funded by pokie machines' money made it hard to look people in the eye," Mrs Black said.
The mission received about $20,000 each year from gaming trusts, and "we aren't so well off that we can miss $20,000".
"But, we decided to take a stand and, judging from the reaction we are getting, it has been worth it."
The mission did not run a problem gambling service, but dealt with families affected by problem gambling.
"We see no value in taking grants from an industry that shatters people," she said.
Since deciding to stop applying for grants, the mission had been approached by other social support agencies wanting to know more about the process.
"It would be interesting if other agencies decided not to apply [for grants]."
In March, the Salvation Army made a national decision to no longer seek or receive funds from gaming trusts.
It was not a criticism of the trusts, "but it was a decision we had to make", social programming director Major Campbell Roberts, of Wellington, said.
The move had cost the Salvation Army "hundreds of thousands of dollars, but we believe it was worth it".
The Salvation Army operated seven Oasis Centres, including in Dunedin and Queenstown, for the treatment of problem gambling, and funding would not be cut to these services, he said.
Other social services agencies reported differing policies on dealing with gaming trust funding.
Catholic Social Services director Ian Donnelly, of Dunedin, said the agency would not be able to offer services without gaming trust funding.
"We are cash-strapped and these funds help us offer programmes."
Presbyterian Support Otago director of communication and fund-raising Lisa Wells said the organisation decided two years ago to review its policy, giving it the right to apply for funding from gaming trusts.
Since then, the organisation had received just one grant of several thousand dollars and "for any grant, we have to make sure our values are not compromised".
Anglican Family Care director Nicola Taylor, of Dunedin, said financial constraints on the agency meant it did accept gaming trust funding, although the board had discussed the issue.
"We have decided not to take the moral high ground at this stage."
The agency relied on donations from the gaming trusts and the public to fund programmes such as its foodbank, she said.
Problem Gambling Foundation counsellor Thomas Moore, of Dunedin, said trusts did not always distribute funds back to the community from which they were taken.
"We often find money is taken from low-decile areas and redistributed back to high-decile areas."
Most pokies were found in the poorer areas of the community, where people who could least afford to gamble lived, he said.
Pub Charity chief executive Martin Cheer, of Wellington, said it was up to organisations to decide whether they should accept grants from gaming trusts.
"We still have to turn away people when we don't have any more money."
