The Gaming Machine Association has stated that the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s refusal to fund facial recognition software in gambling venues will have a detrimental effect on problem gambling in the country.
The facial recognition software which is installed on ‘pokie’ machines will stop people who self-identify as problem gamblers from using the machines by notifying the venue owner that a self-excluded gambler was trying to gamble on the premises.
Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of the Gaming Machine Association said the facial recognition cameras were “mostly funded” and already installed in many gambling venues. However, the software has high and prohibitive licensing fees that gambling venue owners were hoping the government could assist with.
He said:
“There are 148 facial recognition systems already installed in venues across New Zealand. The class 4 industry – the societies – spent $3.5m themselves because they don’t want problem gamblers in their venues.”
Thrush has stated that the Association would like the Ministry of Health to divert some of the funds collected from the problem gambling levy on pokies back to the operators as a means to pay for the software.
He noted that the Ministry of Health’s refusal to allow problem gambling funds to be used in this way was having a detrimental effect on problem gamblers who were trying to self-exclude.
Meanwhile the New Zealand online casinos market is thriving with a wide variety of international gambling companies serving the local gambling market.
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