March 20, 2020
Gambing no fix for coronavirus woes
Click here for the full interview.
A problem gambling service is worried the combination of self-isolation and online gambling could wreak havoc in many whānau.
Trish Riley from Raukura Hauora o Tainui says some people see gambling as the solution to their problems in tough times, but it never seems to work that way.
She says the addictive nature of platforms like online gambling and pokies catches up with people, as she saw with one recent case.
"Mum's trying to stretch that last bit of cash by investing it in the pokie machine. She's won the jackpot but put it back in so it's that cycle happening, gone home and had some very stern conversations with her partner, so that's where we're seeing family violence," she says.
Trish Riley says Raukura Hauora o Tainui is working with the Health Promotion Agency on a campaign to encourage people with gambling problems to get help early.
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com