The Samoan government will introduce the Casino and Gambling Bill 2010 that will make casino gaming legal in Samoa.
PGFNZ CEO Graeme Ramsey said based on his organization’s experience in NZ, there will be a social cost to Samoa if the country gets a casino.
“All too often cities are persuaded into casinos on the basis that they are tourist attractions,” he said. “It has been reported that the legislation in Samoa will allow only holders of foreign passports to enter casinos.
“There are more Samoans eligible for a NZ passport than Samoans with a Samoan passport. We know from experience that it is locals that are the backbone of casinos and there will be pressure to allow locals into the casino in due course.”
The PGFNZ has recently launched Mapu Maia, a service dedicated to working with Pacific communities in Auckland.
This reflects the vulnerability of Pacific communities in New Zealand to problem gambling.
Mapu Maia manager Pesio Ah-Hone Siitia said in that country the prevalence of problem gambling is six times higher among Pacific than for European New Zealanders.
“When pokie machines were introduced in New Zealand, our Pacific people became the most at-risk ethnicity to develop problem or pathological gambling behaviors,” Pesio said.
The impact of gambling on Pacific communities includes relationship problems, poverty, crime and suicide. “There may well be problem gambling issues in Samoa already and the introduction of a casino will bring a gambling ‘culture’ to the country and make these issues worse,” Pesio said.
