Online Casino Gambling Bill

At the moment, offshore online casinos are illegal in Aotearoa, but they still target our communities. The only legal forms of online gambling are Lotto NZ and TAB. We need regulation, but we need it to focus on protecting our whānau – not protecting industry profits.

The Online Casino Gambling Bill claims to create a safer, regulated system for online casinos. In reality, it risks embedding gambling deeper into daily life under a profit-driven model. A true public health approach would focus on reducing harm, minimising exposure, cutting demand, investing in prevention and ensuring Māori-led systems and Treaty compliance. None of these are adequately addressed in this Bill.

We know that:

• Whānau Māori are disproportionately impacted by gambling harm.
• Online gambling is more addictive than traditional forms of gambling
• Illegal online casino operators are targeting social media influencers to reach rangatahi and whānau Māori.
• Gambling is marketed as entertainment, but it is a harmful product with serious health and social impacts.

What the Bill Proposes

• Allow operators to apply for 3-year licences, with a right of renewal for up to 5 years.
• Permit up to 15 licensed online casinos in Aotearoa.
• Let licensed operators advertise gambling (with some restrictions).
• Require operators to verify gamblers are 18+, exclude people identified as problem gamblers, and not offer gambling credit.
• Require harm-prevention measures, regular reporting, and complaints processes.
• Introduce fines and give authorities the power to block illegal sites.
• Ensures gambling revenue is taxed and standards are set to ensure fair game operations.
• Protect Lotto by banning licences for products that directly compete with lotteries.

Why We’re Concerned

This Bill does not do enough to reduce harm. It expands access to online gambling by allowing 15 new licences and lowering the minimum gambling age to 18, while physical casinos require people to be 20+. It places the responsibility on the individuals to self-manage their gambling, instead of putting clear limits on things like spending, advertising, or game design.

In short, this Bill is about enabling industry growth and profit, not protecting people.

What We Want

• Reducing the number of licences to limit access.
• Setting open and shut hours so gambling isn’t available 24/7.
• Banning all gambling advertising to protect tamariki, rangatahi and whānau.
• Requiring mandatory gambling harm messaging in all online casino games.
• Raising the minimum gambling age to at least 20+ (to match physical casinos)
• Officially recognising gambling as a harmful product, like alcohol and tobacco.
• Introducing strong harm minimisation tools, such as a centralised self-exclusion register, and clear stake and time limits.

Our Position

Below are some statements and recommendations you can use in your submission.
If you would like to write your own submission, feel free to reference any of the comments or recommendations below. Make sure to add your own words or experiences to make your submission more personal and more powerful.

Statements and Recommendations

I/We oppose the Online Casino Gambling Bill in its current form.

• The Online Casino Gambling Bill risks embedding gambling deeper into daily life under a profit-driven model.
• This Bill does not do enough to protect communities from gambling harm risks. It instead expands access to gambling, individualises responsibility of gambling harm, and lacks system-level preventions.
• This Bill ignores structural inequities. It protects state gambling revenue rather than confronting the social, health and financial harms that come from gambling.
• This Bill fails to minimise gambling exposure, reduce gambling demand, or invest in preventative measures.
• It is concerning that Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori-led systems are not reflected in this Bill, given that Māori families and communities carry the heaviest burden of gambling harm in New Zealand.
• Allowing advertising of online casinos, even with restrictions, normalises gambling and increases exposure, particularly for young people.
• Gambling is a harmful product with well-evidenced health, financial, and social consequences. This Bill does not treat gambling with the level of caution we apply to other harmful products like tobacco or alcohol.
• Online gambling is more addictive than other forms. This Bill does not reflect the higher risk associated with online gambling or include adequate protections to reduce those risks.
• This Bill allows online casino gambling for people aged 18 and over, while physical casinos require people to be at least 20 years old. This inconsistency puts younger people at increased risk of harm from a more accessible and addictive form of gambling.

• Reducing the number of Online Gambling Licenses to limit access and reduce harm in our communities.
• Setting open and shut hours for online casinos to operate so online casino gambling isn’t available 24/7.
• Banning all forms of gambling advertising to protect tamariki, rangatahi and whānau from being targeted.
• Making it mandatory for all online casinos to include clear gambling harm messages.
• Raising the minimum age for online gambling to at least 20 years to match in-person casinos and protect young people.
• Officially recognising gambling as a harmful product and treating it the same way we do with other harmful products, like alcohol and tobacco.
• Introducing mandatory harm minimisation tools, like a centralised self-exclusion register, stake and time limits etc.

The Hapai submission builder is closed. However, submissions made directly to the parliament website remain open until the 23rd June @ 1:00 pm.

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