A Bay of Plenty healthcare worker is voicing disappointment over what he describes as being lack of support from Western Bay of Plenty gambling venues.

The announcement comes ahead of Gambling Harm Awareness week, which this year is based around a ‘Pause the Pokies' campaign and runs from September 3-9.

The campaign invites pokies machine venues around the country to put a hold on all machines for one hour.

Gaming facilities at the sports bar will be paused for one hour from 12.30-1.30pm on September 3.

Junction Tauranga team leader and recovered gambling addict, Vaughn Cruickshank, says Tauranga Cruzaz Bar is the only Western Bay of Plenty venue who have indicated their support for the campaign as of yet.

'Given the number of venues across the whole Western Bay of Plenty district, and the fact it is only one hour they are being asked to put a hold on gaming facilities, it's disappointing.

'It's such a small thing to ask for, and yet only one venue has come on board.

'This is in comparison to Hawke's Bay where not only support has been shown through the large amount of venues who have pledged to take part in this campaign, but also in the fact that sports bar in the region has also signified it will stop applying for funding through these gaming trusts altogether because of the harm of gambling they see in their community.

'They will be seeking other ways to fund their sports and recreational activities.”

Through his work and in his own experiences as a gambling addict, he knows the damage first hand.

'It's known as quite a ‘silent' or ‘dirty' addiction and by that I mean it's easier to hide than alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders and many other addictions which have clearly visible symptoms.

'It's a very secretive and shameful addiction. People think you can solve it by just not going into places with these gaming facilities, and sure that's one way to solve it, but not everyone is wired the same.

'The chemical balance you find from person to person means that some people have more compulsive natures than others.

'These machines are designed and made to work on all aspects of the brain and engage that behaviour.”

Vaughn says pokies machines in particular can have an extremely damaging effect on communities.

'When I worked in Auckland there were a huge number of gaming facilities in South Auckland, as opposed to Remuera and Parnell where there are none.

'They prey on people who struggle for enough income to get by, and then those people enter these venues thinking ‘I'll put $20 in here you never know what could happen'.

'Sometimes it works, they come out with $100 and everything is great but a majority of the time it's the opposite. It just exacerbates the pain for the person and for their family. That then leads to other ongoing problems such as mental health issues and so on.”

He says this year's campaign is a good start.

'It is only one hour and it's a shame it's not one day, I don't think that's a lot to ask, but at least it's something.

'Not everyone struggles with addiction, I can acknowledge that, and a small amount of money these gaming trusts do turn over goes into recovery services so they are responsible in that way. It's more positive than doing nothing at all.”

The ‘Pause the Pokies' initiative is being coordinated by the Problem Gambling Foundation, Mapu Maia, Asian Family Services, and several community partners around the country.

Andree Froude, Problem Gambling Foundation communications directors, says more than 70 venues in total are signed up to take part which she says is an outstanding result.

'It is great to be able to work with venues and community partners to raise awareness about harmful gambling, particularly pokies,” she says.

'The awareness week starts with 15 of the 17 venues in Invercargill pausing their pokies in the morning and there are some venues participating that are pausing their pokies every day for an hour during that week.”

Andrea says the national theme for Gambling Harm Awareness Week this year is ‘take time out from gambling, put time into whanau' so gamblers will be encouraged to take a break from their gambling and connect with whanau.

'We are hoping that pausing the pokies will also allow gamblers to think about their gambling and it may lead to people seeking help from a local service if they are experiencing harm or know someone that is,” she says.

The latest New Zealand National Gambling Study, one of only two gambling studies in the world that has followed and assessed a large national sample over time, states that although participation in gambling has fallen, rates of problem gambling have not similarly reduced and gambling continues to impact heavily on Māori and Pacific peoples.

Andrea says the money going into pokie machines is mostly coming from the pockets of those who can least afford it.

'There are five times as many pokie machines in the most deprived areas as the least deprived areas, so gambling continues to impact heavily on vulnerable communities,” she says.

For a list of venues around the country taking part in Pause the Pokies and the times they are ‘pausing', visit the PGF website www.pgf.nz/pause-the-pokies.html or follow on Facebook www.facebook.com/PausethePokies/

Need help?

If you're concerned about your own, or someone else's gambling, help is available and it's free and confidential.

Gambling Foundation: Ph 0800 66 42 62 or visit www.pgf.nz

Asian Family Services Helpline: Ph 0800 86 23 42

Mapu Maia (Pacific counselling team): Ph 0800 21 21 22