While we normally concentrate on gambling news from the UK, one of the furthest of the old British Colonial outposts happens to be New Zealand, so, we thought we might share this little snippet with you. The "Green Party" has proposed some rather strange measures to combat what they perceive as problem gambling. The Greens want mandatory gambling limits to be proposed for electronic gaming machines, which we would have to assume, would also include gambling online?

John Key – the Prime Minister understandably responded to this proposal as being completely unrealistic. He also said it is a ‘nice’ idea, but people are people, and it might work in a casino, but games can go to one of thousands of online casinos and gamble away as much as they like from the comfort of their own home.

At least Key, like the Government of the UK, can see that it is impossible to restrict online gambling, because players find ways to get what they want. The best thing to do is regulate this industry, thereafter taxes earned may be used to help problem gamblers who want help. Gambling is not the problem, people are the problem.

The report from Radio New Zealand is actually nothing short of being quite mad. They want the "introduction of pre-commitment cards", and player tracking. Why don’t they just have people micro-chipped, and programmed – its farcical, crazy? These so-called pre-commitment cards would require gamers to insert their spending limit, as well as a time limit, and stick to these. Graeme Ramsay of the NX Problem Gambling Foundation seems to agree. He insists this would be a harm-minimisation measure, rather than recourse for treatment.

Mr Key says it might be a nice idea, but people would find other ways to bet where there are no such limits, like online gambling. While online casinos, bingo room, poker sites, and sports betting facilities have tools for self-exclusion, and or setting time and bankroll limits. The onus is upon the player to activate these. A gambler with a problem, never admits that they are the problem, and will continue to gamble, and blame the gambling facility. It is only when they realise “they” are the problem that help is sought out and given.

Supporters of this proposal, need to take a look at all the other addictions which plague the human and their conditions. Are they going to regulate the amount of beer or booze that can be purchased in a supermarket or bottle store – we doubt it!

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