The Government has announced new regulations to ensure venues and gambling societies uphold their responsibilities to prevent problem gambling and gambling harm. These regulations will apply to pubs, clubs and TAB NZ venues and will come into effect in stages from 15th June.

"It is good to see some follow-through from this Government in implementing these new regulations following the initial announcement made in November last year," says Jason Alexander, Interim CEO of Hāpai Te Hauora.

"This announcement couldn’t come soon enough as whānau Māori continue to be disproportionately affected by gambling harm, especially pokie-related harm when compared to non-Māori."

"If implemented and enforced as intended, these regulations could make all the difference in driving down gambling harm statistics."

Key changes include new infringement offences, new training requirements for venue staff, new venue layout requirements and new penalties. A full list of the new regulations can be found here.

"In a positive move by the DIA, our team and colleagues in the gambling harm minimisation sector were consulted on aspects of the proposed regulations. It is good to see our efforts did not go in vain as with the consultations on online gambling a few years back," said Tara Dymus, General Manager - Māori Public Health.

"While these regulations are a step in the right direction, they fall short of the comprehensive review of the gambling act that is desperately needed.

"The landscape of the gambling industry in 2023 is worlds away from what it looked like in 2003. The legislation that we are governed by needs to keep pace with a rapidly evolving world".

"We need to be bold and push the envelope even further in its efforts to minimise and prevent gambling harm, says Dymus.

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