Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

Stories of suicide, bankruptcy and broken families were heard at an international problem gambling conference held in Auckland. A New Zealand teenager has even written a song about how his mother's addiction made his life hell. Although there are less gambling addicts seeking help this year, researchers say it may be a simple blip caused by anti-smoking laws. "You don't even know that it's affecting them until its too late and you've lost everything. And that's what I wrote my song about, the effects on families," says rapper Lil' Tyrone. Up to 2% of New Zealanders are addicted to some form of gambling. A problem experts at the conference in Auckland debated why, and what to do. "I think New Zealand and Australia basically present the worst type of examples to the world, because we have these very high intensity gaming machines/casino style gaming machines or machines of that type where you can lose a lot of money very quickly, out in our communities," says Dr James Doughney, Victoria University of Melbourne Researcher. Duty of Care is an Australian group of 300 former gamblers who are taking a class action against the whole industry, from the pokie machine designers to the state governments.

"Within eight weeks of starting to play those machines I was hooked and badly," says Sue Pinkerton of Duty of Care. "The amount that we're claiming is going to be heard. It is a very significant amount, hopefully it will break the industry if we're successful," she says.

Pinkerton lost tens of thousands of dollars before she managed to quit the pokies and her friend attempted suicide.

"My friend's suicide note - by the way she had a 10-year-old daughter - and her note said 'I've tried and tried and tried to quit. But what good am I as a parent that I can't even control my own behaviour. This is the only way I know to stop myself from going to the machines'."

Kiwis loose $2 billion a year gambling. But researchers say there have been less problem gamblers seeking help this year.

"The numbers are definitely down and the obvious thing appears to be the smoking ban that's come in. Now the challenge is to keep that moving in the right direction," says gambling researcher Professor Max Abbott.

But some say the smoking ban has simply caused a blip and the problem is likely to return.

Doughney says these are in fact death causing industries.

"Look at it from that side and you take a much tougher view I think."

Lil' Tyrone is very thankful his mother gave up gambling.

"I'm proud of my mum for giving up gambling. Very proud. 'Cause really if it wasn't for my mum I wouldn't have grown stronger in this case in gambling and I know to not do it, to not do it at all 'cause I don't want the next generation of my family to go through that thing. So yeah I thank my mum," he says.