Government consultation on gambling strategy

The Ministry of Health is seeking public feedback on its Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2019/20 to 2021/22.

The deadline to submit feedback is 21 September 2018.

The Gambling Act 2003 sets out the requirement for a strategy.

The Act requires that the strategy include the following four components:

• a needs assessment
• measures to promote public health
• services to treat and assist problem gamblers and their families and whānau
• independent scientific research and evaluation.

Every three years the Ministry of Health reviews and updates the strategy. This consultation covers:

• "the strategic plan, which sets out the general strategic direction and priorities that provides a framework for the activities described below
• the proposed funding levels for the Ministry, in relation to the gambling harm prevention and minimisation activities described in the strategy
• the proposed service plan, for the three years from 2019/20 to 2021/22
• the proposed problem gambling levy rates and weighting options per gambling sector, for the next three years."

The Ministry has produced a consultation document. You can submit feedback by:

• online survey
• the submission form at the back of the consultation document
• email to gamblingharm@moh.govt.nz
• post your submission to Preventing and Minimising Gambling Harm Submissions, Mental Health and Addictions, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington 6145.

For more information about the consultation see the Ministry of Health website.

Update: The Ministry of Health has published documents summarising feedback from the consultation. The Gambling Commission will hold a consultation meeting with selected stakeholders before submiting recommendations to the Ministers of Health and Internal Affairs. The new Strategy is expected to be approved in March 2019.

Gambling and family violence links

Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa said: "Gambling harm is a significant issue with up to one in five New Zealand adults affected at some time in their lives, either by their own gambling or the gambling of others.”

The consultation document notes:

"There is a strong correlation between gambling and family/ whānau or partner violence, with 50 percent of problem gamblers also experiencing family/whānau violence. Women, as the most common primary caregivers in the family/whānau are also particularly vulnerable to the economic strain caused by problem gambling."

Of the 11 strategic objectives, two highlight the connection between gambling and related health and social services:

• Objective 5: People understand and acknowledge the range of gambling harms that affect individuals, families/whānau and communities.
• Objective 9: Services raise awareness about the range of gambling harms that affect individuals, families/whānau and communities.

For research on the links between family violence and gambling, see the following articles and reports:

Family violence in a sample of treatment-seeking gamblers: the effect of having dependent children (Gambling and Addictions Research Centre and Centre for Interdisciplinary Trauma Research, Auckland University of Technology, 2017)

Problem gambling and family violence in help-seeking populations: co-occurrence, impact and coping (Gambling and Addictions Research Centre and Centre for Interdisciplinary Trauma Research, Auckland University of Technology, 2016)

Child maltreatment and problem gambling: A systematic review (Lane et al, 2016)

Problem gambling and family violence: family member reports of prevalence, family impacts and family coping (Suomi et al, 2013)

Find more related research in our library by searching problem gambling.