Gambling has always been a part of New Zealand and has always been associated with its cultural landscape. The country appreciates the high stake thrill and has thrived in the gambling industry regardless of modern or historical forms of gambling. In this New Zealand gambling statistics, we will research market stats and trends.
One would say that the various governmental policies and societal changes reflect based on the history of this form of entertainment and have shaped the views on gambling in the country.
To put it in a precise perspective, the origins of gambling trace back to the earliest days of the Maori settlers, whose ultimate entertainment was games of skill and chance. These games had significance in all realms, social and cultural, and often crossed paths with ceremonies and rituals.
Later after the Europeans colonized, new forms of gambling, such as card games and horse races where punters sought the ultimate win, were introduced, and the first gambling law of 1908 was established to seize control.
At the time, even though punters had no issue with illegal gambling, all forms of gambling were prohibited except for horse racing. It was not until the gambling act of 1990, which gave birth to various land-based casinos, that transformed the entire gambling scene.
Today, gambling holds an intense significance in the social realms of New Zealanders. And according to Translationroyale, at least 80% of the natives in New Zealand are engaged in various forms of gambling in some way or other, with horse race betting still thriving as one of the most popular forms of entertainment.
The modern gambling scene not only thrives because of the thrill but with the evolution of technologies, punters have various options, and with the convenience offered since the introduction of online gambling, the numbers rise daily.
With the convenience brought upon by the establishment of mobile and the internet, any punters can easily switch to a well-regulated online casino and bet and play on new and improved modern gambling forms with ease.
This development in the industry has brought about a surge in the number of gamblers in the country. This brings us to a question, is New Zealand facing a gambling crisis?
Even though the industry is well-regulated by the Department Of Internal Affairs, with strict laws, various policies, and support services to tackle addiction and other issues, it’s estimated that gambling harms at least 1 in 5 people in the country.
That said, according to recent statistics by the Department Of Internal Affairs, it was estimated that a total of $2.254 billion was spent on four different types of gambling by Kiwis.
The statistics of the five-year summary of annual expenditure are as follows:
| Gambling Forms | 2017/18 $m | 18/19 $m | 19/20 $m | 20/21 $m | 21/22 $m |
| Gaming Machines (Outside) | $895 | $924 | $802 | $987 | $654 |
| Tab (racing board) | $350 | $332 | $315 | $385 | $380 |
| Casinos | $578 | $616 | $504 | $559 | $387 |
| Lotteries | $561 | $530 | $631 | $694 | $654 |
| Total | $2,384 | $2,402 | $2,252 | $2,625 | $2,254 |
2020/21 has been the biggest spending year compared to the rest, with the highest money of $987 million, just a few thousand dollars short of a billion, spent on pokies, aka “the crack of gambling.”
But it doesn’t come off as a surprise since pokies are highly addictive, and there are over 20,000 poker machines today in New Zealand.
It is estimated that it’s about to cross a billion dollars in the coming years, and according to the spokesperson of the Problem Gambling Foundation, the data displays that the poorest communities mostly spend the funds.
“The pokie venues, about 60% of it are located in high to extremely excessive deprived areas making the money that is being lost come from individuals that can hardly afford to lose it.” – Froude, spokesperson.
“Gambling harm has become a serious social issue in our beloved country, unreasonably impacting and affecting specific demographics like Pasifika, Maori, and the Asian communities compared to the general public,” Froude adds.
Similar to most countries, New Zealand is no different when it comes to the surging popularity of online gambling. Punters now have access to numerous forms of gambling where they can engage in it all in the comfort of their own spaces.
The steady growth of the industry is fueled by the modern advancement in various technologies and easy access to the internet giving rise to various multiple platforms that cater to all punter’s needs.
Here are a few key factors that highlight its prevalence and impact in the country:
The below Statistics are based on any gambling activity done in the past 12 months, recorded by Kupe.
| Type | Women | Men |
| Gambling Activities (any) | 69.5 % | 69.2 % |
| Pokies at Casino/Club/Pub | 9.5 % | 12.5% |
| Online Gambling- International | 1.7% | 3.4% |
| Lotto | 59.4 % | 58.9% |
| Horse/dograces/sports (NZ) | 29.7% | 23.8 % |
| Type | Men | Woman |
| Gamblers- Recreational | 63.2 % | 66.4% |
| Low-risk gamblers | 4.1 % | 1.8% |
| Moderate risk gamblers | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Problem gamblers | 3.9% | 5.0% |
While problem gambling and addiction has been more related to men throughout history, today, there are vast shifts in the balance. Addiction is prevalent regardless of gender.
However, age is a different factor in problem gambling, and studies suggest that people under the age of 64 are more likely at risk of addiction. To be precise, young adults that are aged 18-24 are more expected to engage in risky gambling.
That said, individuals over the age of 64 or close to it may be at a higher risk of mental health issues due to gambling.
According to the Ministry Of Health, New Zealand, to measure the occurrence of problems related to gambling, they categorized each gambler into four levels and the problems that occur from each.
| Recreational Gambler | They do not experience any negative consequences related of gambling |
| Low-risk Gamblers | They mostly gamble at levels that do not lead to any negative consequences. |
| Moderate-risk Taking Gamblers | They gamble at levels that may or may not lead to any negative consequences. |
| Problem Gamblers | Leading to most negative consequences. |
The study concluded that there were more recreational gamblers than the rest of them, with problem gamblers being only 0.3%, making it a drastic decrease from all the following years.
“Pacific and Maori people that gamble are more likely to be at risk of problems related to gambling than other ethnic groups.”
The problem gamblers, including a few moderate-risk-taking gamblers, even though are in small percentages today, they are likely to be at risk of six or more different harms related to gambling.
Since problem gambling is often associated with a huge decrease in well-being and causes health problems, it can be compared to a drug addict or an alcoholic. It is important to note that problem gambling affects not only the gambler but the people surrounding his life as well.
Some of the issues related to problem gaming include:
The more you lose, the more you spend, which makes individuals accumulate credit debt or be forced to sell items to fund their gambling habits. More severe financial harm could include bankruptcy leading to homelessness, or worse.
The feeling of failure, worthlessness, or experiencing extreme distress due to loss of financial funds could lead to anxiety disorders and other severe mental health issues.
The worst ending is the suicide of the problem gambler or someone close to them. People related to excessive gamblers are also affected by feelings of hopelessness and anger and are at risk of these symptoms as well.
According to World Health Organization, almost a million people commit suicide each year, and more than 5 percent of suicide are related to gambling.
“Suicidal tendencies is higher in problem gamblers compared to the rest of the general population,” states the National Library Of Medicine.
The various mental health issues caused by anger, frustration, and other physiological distress associated with problem gambling could lead to various addictions such as drug use and alcohol.
One of the most common harms faced by excessive gamblers is relationship conflict or destruction since problem gamblers often neglect their various responsibilities.
The frustration, anger, and feeling of hopelessness or being close to bankruptcy leads to conflicts and tension, leading to the destruction (divorce) of the entire relationship.
According to Forbes, divorce rates internationally are caused by various factors, and the loss of financial worth and excessive conflicts are also included in the main components.
| Divorce Rates | Types |
| 38% | Financial harm |
| 48% | Young Marriage |
| 58% | Excessive conflicts |
The leading cause is absenteeism. However, problem gamblers are either distracted or too tired to perform their best at education or work, causing a huge reduction in performance.
This leads to expulsion or causes conflict at the workplace or, in the worst-case scenario, being fired from it.
Problem gamblers are prone to missing out on participation in various family events and cultural practices and overall are disconnected from the strong links they’ve built their entire lives.
This results in bringing shame to themselves and their families, causing social isolation and emotional distress, and feelings of worthlessness. Not only does this affect the person in question, but rather brings harm that has long-term effects on the people closest to them.
Excessive gambling could lead to criminal acts. Problem gamblers are often detached from reality, and they care about is money to fund their addiction. This could lead to various criminal acts, such as drug dealing or prostitution, either to fund them or to repay various debts.
Other criminal activities could include the theft of prized possessions belonging to close people, rich strangers, or shops with high-value items, and are at high risk of participating in various forms of fraud.
Problem gamblers are also at risk of child neglect which can cause long-term harm for the child and for themselves as well, such as having a criminal record and the consequence of being sentenced to lengthy jail time.
According to the Nzherald, there’s a clear link between criminal activities involving criminals that do dishonest crimes such as burglary and theft with problem gamblers.
“With a number of hundred newly entered prisoners, twenty-four percent of these criminals were classified as problem gamblers.” And since most of the thefts and burglaries remain unsolved with little to no evidence at hand, as stated by Teara. govt.nz, it is impossible to give clear statistics on the percentage of burglaries committed by problem gamblers.
According to the Mental Health Organization and Medical News Today, below are some of the symptoms associated with problem gamblers.
Like most countries, New Zealand’s gambling addiction constitutes a more complex cause with a mix of factors rather than a single issue. These so-called factors are distributed into three different categories, which are individual factors, societal factors, and environmental factors, all leading to the development of problematic gambling habits.
Here is a detailed view of all these factors mentioned:
Under the individual factors category, people that fit the description of the mentioned factors below are more prone to gambling addiction.
The various cultural and societal view of gambling in New Zealand in modern times also contributes to gambling addiction in multiple ways. These include:
Various environmental factors also play a role in gambling addiction:
While it may seem impossible for a problematic gambler to change since gambling addiction is often linked or compared with a person being addicted to alcohol or drugs, remember that it’s more of an emotional problem rather than a financial one.
There are various ways to tackle this addiction, and the first one is, answering important questions by yourself. Questions such as “can I stop anytime I want?”, “will I be stressed out if i skip gambling for a day?” similar questions to this are useful in recognizing whether you have an addiction or not.
If the first and the second answer is a “NO” and a “Yes”, than you might need to seek professional help.
You can also find out if you’re a problematic gambler by scrolling through this article, where we’ve mentioned the symptoms relating to it. If you’ve experienced at least 3 or 4 symptoms mentioned on the list during the last twelve months, urgently seek help.
Remember that gambling affects not only your life but the closest people around you as well. Once you’re ready to recover from gambling addiction, you can proceed to treatment.
Generally speaking, there are various ways you can seek help.
The closest for Kiwis to get help in getting rid of their problem gambling is to seek help from the PGF New Zealand. The Problem Gambling Foundation is a well-established organization that helps gambling addiction by offering therapies, programs, and all types of services to tackle the addiction.
If you’re suffering from gambling addiction, we can all understand that sharing or asking for help is not easy. The services PGF offers are abundant, including professional, accessible, and strictly confidential.
PGF also runs support and education groups for gambling addiction and offers help for individuals seeking self-exclusion from various gambling venues. For individuals that are worried about their partner or family being gambling addicts, PGF offers a hand in supporting your loved ones.
Dealing with a gambling addict can be hard on people, especially when it’s their loved one. So here is some advice from APA that may help you get through it without any issues:
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