Gambling Funding for New Zealand Charities

In New Zealand, gaming operators are required to donate 7% of their profits to community initiatives across the country. The system is one of the most beneficial in the world, providing more money to community projects than most other gambling markets. The money gathered from gambling operators is used to fund a wide range of projects, including sports, arts, health and education initiatives. Many of the donations from gambling grants go back into the communities in which they were raised.

Gambling operators donate their money to a wide range of Gambling Trusts across the country, such as Pub Charity and The Lion Club. Community groups and organizations then apply to these foundations for funding. Operators do not directly handle donations in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

The proceeds donated by gaming clubs provide the most significant source of community funding for not-for-profit organizations across New Zealand. Gambling grants make a more significant impact on community efforts than any other financial resource in the country.

Over the course of the last year, The Lion Foundation donated more than $53 million to 4175 charities and community efforts across New Zealand. In its 26 years of operation, the foundation has awarded over $590 million in gambling grants. Last year, sports received the most amount of funding with $20.5 million, followed by community efforts which received $16.1 million. Health and education both received over $8 million.

This year, Pub Charity donated $24 million. Sport and community, yet again, received the most funding with sports clubs receiving $7.6 million and community efforts receiving $6.9 million. Education and Health Services received $4 million and $3.3 million, respectively. Emergency services received $1.9 million.

Unfortunately, funds derived from New Zealand online casinos and other online gambling websites are not used to help community efforts in the country. This is because offshore gaming websites are not regulated by the New Zealand government. Politicians are currently reviewing the Interactive Gambling Act, however, and the regulation of international gambling websites is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

A common worry among organizations requiring funding is the possibility of receiving funds from problem gamblers. However, The Lion Foundation assures that gambling is not a detrimental activity for New Zealand residents. The foundation quotes the Department of International Affairs, which states that "gambling can be a harmless entertainment activity from which people can derive personal enjoyment and which provides other positive social benefits".

- Mitchell Hughes, New Zealand Gambling Specialist

Gambling Demographics in New Zealand

In New Zealand, gambling is considered an economically-significant industry. Residents spend over $1 billion on gambling activities each year, marking its popularity in the country. The demographics reached by gambling operators in New Zealand are wide-ranging, as both men and women and individuals belonging to varying age groups take part in gambling activities.

According to studies carried out by Statistics New Zealand, over 90% of residents over the age of 18 participated in gambling activities at least once in their lives. Over 80% admit to gambling at least once a year. 85% of New Zealanders play the local lottery on a regular basis while 77% choose to take part in other forms of raffles. Additionally, instant lottery games and electronic gaming machines are played by over half of New Zealand residents.

Gambling preferences seem to vary among age groups. Residents aged 25-34 are the most likely to take part in gambling activities while younger New Zealanders, aged 18-24, are less likely to gamble. Of the younger population, those that do gamble mostly take part in Instant Kiwi games and informal monetary wagers with friends. Residents aged 25-34 are most likely to play poker machines and casino games. Middle-aged and senior residents are the most likely to play the lottery.

Additionally, gambling behaviour differs between genders. Gambling was previously an activity dominated by males, but recent years have seen more and more women getting involved. In a study conducted in 1991, 699 100 men gambled, compared to about 349 500 women. In recent years, however, things have evened out with about half a million men and women both taking part in land-based gambling games and online casino activities.

More women than men play the lottery, bingo and Instant Kiwi games. 80% of women compared to 70% of men play the lottery, 23% of women compared to 15% of men play bingo and 53% of women compared to 43% of men play Instant Kiwi games. However, men outnumber women when it comes to sports betting as 12% of males compared to 5% of women wager on sports. An equal portion of men and women take part in poker machines (18% each) and casino games (15% each).

Rates of problem gambling also vary among demographics. 34% of women are suspected to be problem gamblers, compared to 46% of men. Also, residents over the age of 40 are considered to be the most likely to develop unhealthy gambling habits, as 43% of players aged 40-49 are potential problem gamblers.

- Mitchell Hughes, New Zealand Gaming Specialist

Gambling Participation in New Zealand

It is a well-known fact that New Zealand has a burgeoning gambling market. Thanks to pokies and other electronic gaming devices, a vast portion of the population takes place in gambling activities every year. While the activity is incredibly popular throughout the country, few studies have been conducted which truly examine gambling behaviour and statistics. Recently, a new study has shed light on the issue, delving into demographics in the country's gambling market.

A study titled "New Zealand's Participation in Gambling" was recently published by the Health Sponsorship Council. The research aimed to obtain more information on the risk of developing gambling problems and overall frequency of participation by New Zealand citizens.

According to the study, most New Zealanders take part in high-risk forms of gambling less frequently. Less than 20% of participants admitted to playing pokies in a club over the course of a 12 month period. 10% played pokies in casinos while just 3% played table games at casinos. These statistics confirm that pokies continue to be the preferred activity of players in New Zealand, illustrating that club pokies are still more popular than casino pokies.

Lottery and scratch cards are more frequent forms of gambling among residents, as 60% of individuals take part in these activities. The study also found that older individuals are more likely to take part in these activities than their younger counterparts. 72% of those over the age of 45 take part in lottery activities while just 38% of 18- to 24-year-olds play lottery games.

A surprising finding uncovered by the study is that women seem to be more likely than men to take part in gambling activities. Women outnumbered men in a wide range of activities, including the lottery, instant Kiwi and raffles. However, men were more likely to take part in casual wagers with friends, casino table games and sports betting. Both groups presented similar statistics for bingo games and New Zealand online casino games.

The number of individuals who refrain from gambling activities is also quite interesting. 20% of men do not gamble, compared to just 18% of women. The age group 18 - 24 is the least likely take part in gambling, despite casino operators' efforts to draw in a younger crowd. As such, individuals over the age of 45 are the most likely to gamble. When it comes to ethnicities, Asians are the least likely to gamble (with 38% refraining from the activity) while those of Maori descent are most likely to take part in gambling activities (80%).

- Mitchell Hughes, New Zealand Gaming Specialist

Responsible Gambling in New Zealand

The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs is dedicated to dealing with the issue of problem gambling. Many initiatives have been put into place to encourage responsible gambling among New Zealand players, offering them many solutions to control unhealthy gambling habits.

In 2004, regulations were passed with the aim of preventing harm and minimizing damaged caused by dangerous gambling habits. These regulations put strict limits on poker machines and other electronic gaming devices, dictating how much players may wager, where pokies can be housed and other stipulations. They help players to conduct their gambling activities responsibly, in order to prevent them from becoming problem gamblers or developing gambling addictions.

Unsuitable venues for electronic gaming devices are areas in which entertainment or leisure is not the main purpose. These include supermarkets, offices, private homes, theme parks and fast food restaurants. While there are hundreds of venues across New Zealand that do house poker machines, the point of these limitations ensure that pokies are not available in every public place, which would be likely to increase players' urges to gamble.

In venues that house poker machines, operators are not allowed to host automatic bank teller machines in the gambling area. This prevents players from having ready access to their bank account in case they decide to spend more money than they intended on in the first place. Operators must also ensure that machines do not require players to wager more than $2.50 per play or house machines that offer more than $500 as a prize for a single spin.

Players are also encouraged to pay heed to the messages displayed on electronic gaming devices. In 2009, all gaming venues were required to install Player Information Displays, which help to keep track of their spending. These displays provide players with accurate information on their winnings and losses, and they certainly help players to keep their gambling behaviour under control.

The Department of Internal Affairs also works hard to help players who are struggling with keeping up responsible gambling habits. Whether they are playing land-based pokies or online slots, there are many support services available in New Zealand that encourage responsible gambling behaviour. On the Department's website, players can find a list of services, including the Problem Gambling Foundation and the Salvation Army Oasis Centre. There are also several help phone numbers listed for residents of New Zealand, including the Maori Gambling Helpline and the Youth Gambling Helpline.

- Jessica Brinn, expert on gaming in New Zealand.

Online Gambling Laws in New Zealand

New Zealand is currently a burgeoning gambling market. Millions of residents take part in some form of gambling activity everyday, and the population of recreational gamblers has been growing rapidly over the course of the past few years. While the land-based gaming market is seeing a great deal of growth, so is the online casino market. However, the laws regulating online gambling in New Zealand can be quite complex, so here is a brief overview of legality of online gaming in the country

New Zealand's online gambling laws are regulated under the Gambling Act 2003, along with all other forms of gambling in the country. Up until 2003, online gambling was not regulated by any laws, so the legislation is still quite new and residents believe there are still some kinks to work out.

According to the Act, remote interactive gambling is prohibited. This applies only to gambling that is organized or conducted within New Zealand. Offshore operators can face fines for offering their services to residents of the country, but few have been prosecuted by local authorities. Some local online gambling operators are able to offer their services online, including TabCorp, a gaming operator which has a near-monopoly on gambling in Australia and New Zealand.

The advertisement of offshore online casinos is also prohibited. Therefore, gambling companies which are not based in New Zealand may not advertise their services to residents. This includes sports sponsorships and television commercials, as well as in-print and online advertisements.

Recognizing that New Zealanders are keen to take part in online gambling, the government has decided to allow some forms of online wagering to take place. It has recently been decided that players would be allowed to play the local lottery online. NZ Lotto has launched its own online gambling website, so that players can purchase all sorts of lottery products online. The website also offers online bingo and keno, adding to the range of choices that players have when it comes to gambling legally online. NZ Lotto's website is a huge step forward for the country's online gambling market; however, residents would still like to have more choice when it comes to playing casino games online.

There are some exceptions to the rules, however. The New Zealand government has stated that some cases of online gambling that may be disputed. As such, the local gaming commission would have to assess these situations on a case-by-case basis to ensure that players and operators across the country are receiving fair and safe treatment in the online gaming world.

- Mitchell Hughes, New Zealand Gaming Specialist

Guide to Gambling Laws in New Zealand

Currently, New Zealand's gambling market is thriving. In a country with a population of over 4.4 million people, New Zealand's gambling market is worth billions of dollars. Playing casino games and electronic gaming machines are incredibly popular activities and, as such, they are heavily regulated by the government to ensure that players do not develop unhealthy gambling habits or fall victim to the dangers that lurk in unregulated markets.

All forms of gambling in New Zealand are regulated under either the Racing Act 2003 or the Gambling Act 2003. The racing act covers racing and sports betting while the Gambling Act covers casino games and poker. Gambling is only legal if it is regulated by either act or if it is private gambling, which includes games played at home or as part of social events. Private gambling is also legal if all players' stakes and buy-ins are paid out as winnings.

There are four types of gambling in New Zealand. Class 1 and Class 2 gambling do not require operators to hold gambling licenses while Classes 3 and 4 do. Class 1 includes small-scale sweepstakes and fundraising, which means that the total prize pool cannot exceed more than $500. Class 3 gambling includes larger-scale fundraising, where the total prize pool exceeds $5000 and there is no limit on the amount of stakes.

Class 4 gambling has the most complex laws, as these rules regulate non-casino poker machines and other forms of 'high-risk' gambling. With Class 4 gambling games, there is a $2.50 limit on each play. These games cannot pay out more than $500 for a single play or more than $1000 for a single play on a progressive jackpot game.

The areas in which Class 4 gambling takes place are also highly regulated. Class 4 games can be carried out in a wide range of venues, but there are still many places in which they are illegal. These include supermarkets, offices, homes, fairs, internet cafes and museums. In areas where Class 4 gambling is permitted, automatic bank teller machines are not permitted. Operators of these venues must also provide patrons with information about problem gambling.

These regulations do not apply to games like online roulette, online poker or online slots. In New Zealand, online gambling activities have yet to be regulated by the government, so players must exercise caution when playing at online casinos. However, the governments of Australia and New Zealand are currently examining existing online gambling laws, so it is likely that regulation of that market will occur in the near future.

- Mitchell Hughes, New Zealand Gaming Specialist