Districts divided over city appeal for funding to fight SkyCity pokie bid

Thursday, 23 May 2019

Skycity Casino Hamilton wants to swap three blackjack tables with 60 pokie machines.

A rural mayor has called Hamilton City Council 'cheeky' after rejecting it's bid for financial assistance to fight SkyCity's plan for more pokies.

SkyCity applied to the Gambling Commission to swap three blackjack tables from the Hamilton casino for 60 pokies, increasing its number to 399.

Hamilton City Council will attend a hearing later in the year to plead its case against the change, budgeting $150,000 of ratepayer money towards its legal fees.

The commission will make a decision if the swap or a variation on the swap will be granted after consulting with affected parties and social services.

Hamilton City Council Chief Executive Richard Briggs has written to other council seeking funding.

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City Council Chief Executive Richard Briggs wrote to nine Waikato councils asking them to contribute to the cost, but Ōtorohanga Mayor Max Baxter was quick to criticise the city's appeal.

'I think it's quite cheeky on behalf of the council, and it's their problem not theirs [the nine councils].'

Hauraki District Council Mayor John Tregidga won't be funding the Hamilton's pokie hearing bid.

Ken Phillips was the only Ōtorohanga councillor to vote in favour of supporting the city.

Waikato Mayor Allan Sanson said this is an urgent issue for the region and sided with Phillips, putting in its own submission against the pokies.

'We have made a small financial commitment - to fight this not only on Hamilton's behalf but on Waikato's behalf - of $10,000.

South Waikato Mayor Jenny Shattock said the letter was looked at quickly by her council.

'Full credit to the city for putting their hand up and asking for support.'

The letter wasn't even put before his council, Hauraki Mayor John Tregidga said.

'I was surprised that they asked for funding. I support their stance, but let's be clear, we fought very hard [against pokies in Huaraki] … we had all the big boys coming in and telling us we were wrong.

'If they had written to me for support I would have given them support, but the fact that they asked for money … we haven't gone out and asked for money.'

Waikato District Council Mayor, Allan Sanson gives 'full credit to the city for putting their hand up and asking for support'.

South Waikato has also rejected the city's advances.

Mayor Jenny Shattock argued there was too much pressure on South Waikato ratepayers as it is to join Hamilton's crusade, but admitted 'there wasn't a lot of discussion'.

Several district councils are yet to decide if they will support the city.

Waipa, Thames-Coromandel, Matamata-Piako and Waitomo district and Wakato Regional Council are yet to put the plea before their councillors.

SkyCity's general manager of communications Colin Espiner said the company 'has no beef' with the council, and is surprised they've gone around asking for additional funds.

'We think the commission should grant us our applications on the basis of the facts rather than the emotions around the issue.

'Unless you're going to ban things you just need to set up a proper framework and environment in which it can be done safely, and we think casinos are the safest place to do it'

But Sanson disagrees.

'Those people that play pokie machines are purposely playing pokie machines because they don't play blackjack or roulette.

'Their game of choice is a pokie machine and that's why they go there, because they can just sit there and just keep feeding money into it a pushing the repeat button on the damn things.'

SkyCity declined to release their legal fees budget for the hearing, but Hamilton Casino boasted gross earnings of $14 million for the first half of this year.