We need your help in opposing the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill by completing and returning the attached submission.

Introduction

The Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill is a Private Members Bill, introduced and sponsored by Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell, calls for amendments to specific sections of current gambling legislation.

If passed into law the Bill would;

• Phase out charitable gaming trusts and give local council and community boards the authority to reduce or eliminate gaming machines
• Give control of conducting gambling and the distribution of all charitable gaming machine donations to local council and community board controlled committees.
• Increase the cost of playing sport by 40 to 60%

As part of coalition talks between the National Party and the Maori Party, National agreed to vote in support of the Bill to the Select Committee (or public hearing) phase.

 Basketball Hawkes Bay receives Gaming funding that subsidises up to 40% of the cost of school age group programmes and competitions, venue hire and official costs for competitions, age group representative team entry and travel and accommodation costs and staff salaries.

 Our sport is played in indoor venues which are significantly more expensive to hire than outdoor grounds and without this funding the cost of participation would become unaffordable for a high percentage of the 5000 that register annually in Basketball Hawkes Bay Competitions and programmes.

 The Bill has passed the first stage of becoming law and has been referred to the Commerce Select Committee and is NOW OPEN FOR PUBLIC SUBMISSION UNTIL 21 JUNE 2012.

 Please complete and sign the attached submission form and return it to us by email, or fax (06) 8336213 or post to 85 Ford Road, Onekawa, Napier 4110.

 Alternatively you may wish to send it directly to (requires 2 copies):

 The Secretariat

Commerce Select Committee

Select Committee Office

Parliament Buildings

WELLINGTON 6011

This is very urgent as if the bill is passed grants from gaming could stop by June 2013.