The National party has tackled the issue of gambling regulation in New Zealand from all directions since taking over the reins of the country in November 2023. They first announced a doubled tax through the addition of the offshore gambling duty, then they said they'll use IP geoblocking to block access to tax dodgers, then they announced they'll be auctioning off 15 licences to interested operators, and finally, now they want to do something about gambling harm.
DashTickets, the premier New Zealand gambling magazine, is at the forefront of these legislative changes, helps state authorities to find a balance between the interests of the country and the interests of the players, to pass a smooth legalisation of the gambling market and is in constant contact with the interested parties. They'll shed some light on the subject for us.
On 23 August 2024, consultation for draft strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm 2025/26 to 2027/28 opened. This means that the strategy encompasses the next three years and is aiming to prevent and minimise any harm that comes from gambling in New Zealand. The consultation is open until 5pm on Sunday 6 October 2024 so if you have a say, visit the Ministry of Health's website and submit your thoughts.
New Zealand means business, as is evident from the fact that for the first time there is a Minister for Mental Health, Hon Matt Doocey, who is appointed to be in charge of this strategy. In his own words, he intends to increase access to gambling harm support, grow the gambling harm workforce, strengthen the focus on the prevention of and early intervention in gambling harm, and improve the effectiveness of gambling harm support.
As Cath Healey, the general manager for Te Rangihaeata Oranga (the Hawke's Bay gambling recovery service), recently said in an interview with Edward Howarth, gambling is inherently problematic and things are about to get worse with the introduction of new licensees that will be allowed to advertise freely and therefore be in front of consumers' eyes as long as the sanctioning body approves their marketing plan that needs to be submitted at the time of applying for the licence.
“About one in five people in New Zealand experience harm as a result of their own or someone else’s gambling and this harm is not experienced evenly across our communities, with Māori, Pacific, Asian and young people are at greater risk,’ says Geoff Short, Acting Deputy Director-General Clinical, Community and Mental Health Directorate.
In 2022/23, New Zealanders lost NZ$2.76 billion gambling on the four regulated gambling sectors (Lotto NZ, Tab NZ, casinos and non-casino gambling machines or class 4 gambling). The tax-paying offshore casinos such as SkyCity Online are included, the Curacao tax dodgers are not included, and neither are the upcoming 15 licensees that will enter the New Zealand market when the legislature creates the necessary framework.
We can also read between the lines and note that, for the first time in 2022/23, New Zealanders lost over $1 billion on pokies. This round number is seen as a warning sign, especially in higher deprivation areas, mostly with Māori population.
DashTickets lead writer Edward Howarth says that gambling harm reduction is the prime role of the regulator, and is the reason why we're doing it in the first place. The Hamilton native and the Lead writer for the largest New Zealand gambling magazine says the onus should be on the operator, and that everything else is as useful as putting a bandaid on an open wound.
Howarth notes that in the United Kingdom, the regulator is putting pressure on the operators to track and identify problem gamblers and deny them access to the well. Operators that don't do that should be fined and they could even lose their licence. Howarth claims that casinos track players' activities anyway and are well-versed in identifying problem gamblers, it's just that they prefer to keep them as players and not remove them from the casino.
If you're interested in making your voice heard and contributing to the minimisation and prevention of gambling harm in New Zealand, you can provide feedback by:
- Making an online submission at https://consult.health.govt.nz
- Using the ‘Making a submission’ form at the end of the PDF with the draft strategy and emailing it to gamblingharm@health.govt.nz
- Attending a consultation meeting – meeting details will be made available at https://consult.health.govt.nz
- Emailing your thoughts to gamblingharm@health.govt.nz
