Analysis: Despite the harm it is known to cause to a significant number of New Zealanders, the gambling industry as a whole is commonly defended for its contribution back to the community. Lotto NZ, for example, must redistribute all profits from Lotto in this way. Other forms of gambling are taxed or regulated differently, but most pay back a share of their profits in some form. Critics counter that such redistribution of gambling revenue does not fully address the harmful effects of problem gambling, or the fact that gambling itself isn't distributed evenly across society. So, while 63 percent of electronic gambling machines - colloquially known as "pokies" - are located in areas of...
