Proposed New Zealand Bill to Require Poker Machines to Disclose Losses

A select committee of the New Zealand parliament is considering legislation that would require all new video poker machines to display pop-up messages at regular intervals telling gamblers how long they have been playing and how much they have won or lost. The machines also would ask patrons if they want to continue playing. 

According to news reports, both gaming opponents and compulsive gambler advocacy groups support the proposed legislation.  These groups claim that the pop-up messages will break the “trance-like state” that video poker “addicts” experience while playing. However, the local gaming industry claims that the proposed legislation is “an overreaction” and would be too expensive to implement.

The parliament committee held hearings on the legislation in March and is expected to issue a report to the full parliament soon. If passed, the new law would take effect in July 2009.