(Video first published in 2018)After the big lockdowns of 2020, Kiwis are gambling more than ever before, new government figures show. While our overall gambling spend dropped because of lockdown, there was a big resurgence in the final quarter of the year. In the period October-December 2020, Kiwis spent $252m on non-casino pokie machines – the most since the Department of Internal Affairs began keeping records in 2007. The rise in the final quarter of last year has left problem gambling advocates deeply worried. “We would like to know where the money has come from, given that 50 per cent of pokie venues are in our poorest communities,” said Problem Gambling Foundation marketing director Andree Froude.

Source: Stuff March 12, 2021 04:18 UTC