Bella
Craig, Reporter –
Checkpoint
Warning: This story discusses
suicide.
“All it takes is one taste and
once you’ve tasted it, it will spiral out of
control.”
That from an Auckland man who’s worried if
the Online Casino Gambling Bill goes ahead more people could
become addicted to gambling.
The bill, expected to
pass in February next year, will grant licences to up to 15
online casino gambling operators.
The minister in
charge says it will prioritise harm minimisation while
collecting tax revenue, with four percent ringfenced for
community returns.
But experts say the bill is missing
details, as it still allows licensed online casinos to
advertise but with restrictions.
When *Tom opens his
phone and scrolls through his social media feed, it’s almost
inevitable he’ll see an ad for an online gambling
platform.
The ads, offering free spins, bonus cash and
100 dollars of “free” pre-loaded credit, still trigger the
recovering online gambling addict.
“It’s all over
Youtube, it’s all over Facebook, it’s all over TikTok, most
TikToks that you see nowadays will have a watermark for an
online gambling platform, just subtly put in
there.”
“I’ve got a young son, I’m now at the point
where I’m worried about what he’s watching.”
Tom was
12 when he was first exposed to online gambling through a
gaming site.
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The cycle of risk and reward throughout
his teenage years sparked his interest in pokies, and by the
time he turned 20, he became a regular at SkyCity’s Auckland
casino.
For a time, luck was on his side, winning
numerous jackpots…that’s when he dived head first into
online gambling.
“It was something that I constantly
convinced myself would make my life better. I would more or
less tell myself that eventually one of these days it’s
going to pay off.”
But, as the saying goes, the house
always wins.
Now 34 years old, Tom estimates that his
addiction to gambling has cost him over half a million
dollars.
“It’s impacted my relationship with my
partner, my relationship with my son, I rarely speak to any
of my distant family, parents or brothers and
sisters.”
“I have no money, pretty much all the time
so I’m running on fumes.”
Tom said because he’s so
ashamed, he’s even contemplated ending his life.
“It’s
not really thinking about it like that’s the solution to the
problem, it’s more thinking about it like I’m so ashamed and
I never want to have to admit this.”
He said he feels
there’s no choices to stop.
“People have the freedom
to jump on an online casino and gamble. But if you recognise
that you’ve got an issue, there’s no button, there’s no way
that you can just go ‘I don’t want to do that anymore, or I
don’t want to have access to that anymore.”
The Online
Casino Gambling Bill, introduced by the Act Party’s Brooke
van Velden, auctions 15 licences for online casinos.
Companies must have a harm prevention strategy, ensure users
are at least 18 years old and stick to advertising
restrictions.
The Problem Gambling Foundation’s Andree
Froude said they agree with the bill’s regulation of some
offshore sites as people will be better protected.
But
she said the bill falls short of detail.
“Particularly
with the licensing of these casinos we need to ensure that
they have really robust age verification processes to make
sure that doesn’t happen.”
“It seems with a lot of
these offshore casinos that it’s really easy to actually get
around that or sometimes there’s no age verification at
all.”
The Problem Gambling Foundation wants online
gambling advertising banned altogether.
“We’re seeing
the offshore online casinos who are advertising on social
media platforms, then we’ve got the other side of things
where they’re approaching influencers to promote their sites
as well.”
Director of Auckland University of
Technology’s Gambling and Addictions Research Centre Maria
Bellringer said the bill doesn’t stop casinos offering
incentives like ‘free bets’ and ‘moneyback
guarantees.’
She also said the rules round advertising
don’t go far enough.
“Children are still going to see
the advertisements, we know that they will because children
watch television late at night.”
“This is going to
normalise the online casino gambling behaviour to children
and adolescents and it will influence their future gambling
involvement.”
The Ministry of Health said one in five
New Zealand adults are affected by their own or others
gambling. Māori, Pacific, Asian and young people are at
greater risk of experiencing gambling harm.
The most
recent New Zealand Gaming Survey found people aged between
15 to 24 – typically male – were most likely to gamble on
online casinos.
A spokesperson for the Department of
Internal Affairs told Checkpoint work on the details of
regulations to restrict or prohibit inducements in online
casino gambling are underway.
The DIA is currently
considering what ways it will restrict
advertising.
They say before being licensed in New
Zealand, operators of an online casino will need to show
they are able to verify the age and identity of
customers.
If an operator breaches requirements, they
could face penalties of up to $5 million and potential
licence suspension or cancellation.
*Name has been
changed to protect the person’s identity
Where to
get help:
- Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737
any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any
reason. - Lifeline: 0800 543
354 or text HELP to 4357. - Suicide Crisis Helpline:
0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people
who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are
concerned about family or friends. - Depression Helpline:
0800 111 757 or text 4202. - Samaritans: 0800
726 666. - Youthline: 0800 376
633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz. - What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP /
0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to
19-year-olds. - Asian
Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages
spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai,
Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English. - Rural Support Trust
Helpline: 0800 787 254. - Healthline: 0800 611
116. - Rainbow Youth: (09) 376
4155. - OUTLine: 0800 688
5463.
If it is an emergency and you feel
like you or someone else is at risk, call
111.
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