Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2025/26 to 2027/28: Proposals document

The Gambling Act 2003 sets out requirements for an ‘integrated problem gambling strategy focused on public health’.  The Ministry of Health is responsible for developing and refreshing the strategy at three-yearly intervals, and for implementing it together with Health New Zealand who are responsible for delivering the public health and treatment services. The Crown recovers the cost of developing and implementing the strategy, by way of a ‘problem gambling levy’ set by regulation at a different rate for each of the main gambling sectors.

On 23 August 2024 the Ministry of Health released its draft Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm for 2025/26-2027/28 consultation document and invited submissions, which closed on 6 October 2024.

During the consultation period, 13 consultation and two information meetings were held including one each for Māori, Pacific, Asian and young people/rangatahi viewpoints, one each for the gambling industry and service providers and four for people with lived experience of gambling harm.  Meetings were held in person and online.

By the close of the consultation period, the Ministry had received a total of 64 written submissions representing a range of groups and individuals.

An external contractor, Allen + Clarke, analysed the submissions and notes of meetings and has produced a “Draft Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2025/26-2027/28: Summary of Submissions“ report for the Ministry of Health. This report and the submissions informed the Ministry’s revised proposals. The Ministry has also produced a supporting document that summarises in table form the key themes raised in the submissions and the Ministry and Health New Zealand response to each. Both these documents can be downloaded off this page.

We would like to acknowledge the contribution made by everyone who participated in the consultation process and particularly those who shared their lived experience of gambling harm.

The proposals

The Ministry has re-considered the draft strategy and estimated costs in the light of feedback from the consultation meetings and submissions. We also updated gambling expenditure figures and presentation data received after the consultation document was written and recalculated the problem gambling levy rates.

In response to submissions, we have strengthened the strategy proposals to align with the government priorities for mental health and addiction as they relate to gambling harm by improving access to gambling harm support services, strengthening health promotion and early intervention, growing the gambling harm workforce and improving the effectiveness of gambling harm supports including research, a strategic review of the strategy, developing a gambling harm monitoring framework and new data management system. 

As with previous strategies we note that gambling harm is inequitably distributed with Māori, Pacific, some Asian communities and young people more likely to be affected. These groups are priority populations in the Strategy and the service plan operationalises this by providing targeted public health and clinical treatment services.  Additional funding is proposed so these services can be developed and implemented effectively to meet the needs of these communities.

Additional information is provided in the revised proposals document.

As a result of these changes the total estimated cost of the draft three-year budget is $91.805 million. This is $15.682 million more than the current three-year budget of $76.123 million and $4.087 million more than the $87.718 million budget proposed in the consultation document. The Ministry’s view is that the proposed changes, including increased investment, is necessary to enable a more effective Government response to prevent and minimise gambling harm.

The revised strategy proposals, including updated levy rates, are available for download on this page.

Once again, thank you to those who made submissions. We appreciate your participation in this process.

Next steps

As required by the Gambling Act, the Gambling Commission will convene a consultation meeting in January 2025, to which it will invite a selected group of stakeholders. It will subsequently submit its recommendations to the Minister for Mental Health and the Minister of Internal Affairs.

The Ministry anticipates Cabinet will approve the new strategy in March 2025, and regulations to be made and the new Strategy and levy rates to be published in May 2025. The new Strategy and the new levy rates come into effect on 1 July 2025.