The release today by the Problem Gambling Foundation of a report commissioned of NZIER that suggests gambling on gaming machines somehow costs jobs in the retail sector is nothing but tragic dog whistle politics.

It’s an odd thing for a charity like the PGF to suggest taking money from charities and not for profits to create jobs in the commercial retail sector, which has actually rebounded from COVID quite well.

The retail spending the PGF/NZIER study refers to is not additional spending in the economy. Any suggested benefits in the retail sector would be offset by the jobs and tax revenue lost in the economy from the reduced spending on gambling. That’s revenue and jobs in cities, towns and communities across New Zealand.

What about the jobs being created now with funds from the gaming sector in the arts, social services, conservation, heritage, community, sports, and hospitality sectors. Do they not deserve to be employed to further the PGF’s radical social ideology ?

The NZIER study explicitly notes that the adverse effects on the sectors of the economy currently supported by Class 4 gambling are not taken into account in its study. What this means is that they have identified the benefits to one particular, randomly selected sector of the economy, with no meaningful attempt to look at the overall benefits and costs to New Zealand and New Zealanders. It pays to read the fine print.

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