As New Zealand is on the verge of regulating the online gambling market, concerns have been raised by Māori organisations.
Earlier this year, a Māori collective was formed to protect native communities from gambling harm. The National Māori Gambling Harm Minimisation Collective, Te Kāhui Mokoroa, has called for the government to consider the effect this new regulation, championed by Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden, would have on the Māori population. The accessibility to casino gambling, which is now more or less limited to urban areas, would be available to everyone, at all times, which worries Te Kāhui Mokoroa.
“Online gambling harm is exacerbated due to 24-hour accessibility and minimal protective measures” said Cath Healey, general manager of Te Rangihaeata Oranga, a gambling recovery service. She added, “The broader financial and social impacts of online gambling harm need to be at the forefront of regulation. Strong mechanisms of active protection using the lens of health equity must be applied. The well-being of people needs to be prioritised over profit.”
Te Kāhui Mokoroa spokesperson, Jessikha Leatham-Vlasic, explained: “While we acknowledge the government’s attempt to regulate the online casino industry, we have serious reservations about the continued harm this will inflict on our whānau (extended family group) and communities, particularly our most vulnerable whanaunga (relatives).”
Gambling harm in Māori communities
Māori are five times more likely to develop gambling problems than other groups. Their use of slot machines – or pokie machines – has raised concerns in the community for several years. Selah Hart, chief executive of a regional public health collective, said the gambling industry has “targeted our communities,” adding, “They put their machines in neighbourhoods where our whānau are living, and that’s as simple as it gets.”
Van Velden’s reassurances
“There will be a licensing system for online casinos, where operators will need to comply with a set of criteria before they can offer services to New Zealanders. It will be illegal for unlicensed operators to offer services to New Zealanders,” van Velden said.
According to her, the goal is not to increase the availability of gambling, but to ensure that online gambling meets certain standards in customer protection.
“Licensing is how we regulate most forms of gambling domestically. This is not intended to increase the amount of gambling New Zealanders do but to ensure operators meet requirements for consumer protection and harm minimisation, as well as paying tax,” van Velden explained.
Te Kāhui Mokoroa’s demands
Te Kāhui Mokoroa, the National Māori Gambling Harm Minimisation Collective has declared that it is ready to work in collaboration with the authorities to develop the new regulations, implement them, and monitor their effects on Māori communities: “It needs to be part of a joined-up response nationally, regionally, and locally.”
The collective has also demanded that advertising of online casinos be banned as it is especially harmful to younger and underage players, aged 13-18. It also advocates for the establishment of a national exclusion register and the implementation of shut-down periods.
A national call to caution
However, Māori communities are not the only ones worried about the effects these new regulations could have. The Problem Gambling Foundation agrees that advertising largely targets younger populations and is also harmful to problem gamblers. Andree Froude, Director of Advocacy and Public Health at the Problem Gambling Foundation, explained: “Prohibiting the advertising of any gambling is the best measure, but at the very least, there need to be strict limits around the volume and timing of advertisements along with the banning of inducements to gamble.”
The foundation calls for customer verification processes, a national self-exclusion register, restrictions on payment methods, and mandatory limits on time and spending. It also urges the government to implement a penalty system for operators that do not comply.
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