Responsible gambling starts with being informed. This guide gives you the rundown on recognising risky habits, teaches you ways to shield your loved ones, and points you to where you can get help right here in New Zealand.
Responsible gambling involves monitoring and controlling your gaming habits to prevent negative impacts on your life or those around you. It's about being self-aware and disciplined, and making sure that gambling remains a fun and safe activity.
This means setting limits on how much time and money you spend, never chasing losses and always being ready to step back if your gambling stops being enjoyable.
You might think that problem gambling is always about big, dramatic losses of money, but that's not the whole picture and it can be more subtle. A gambling addiction often starts quietly, and the signs can be easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
Ask yourself, have you noticed yourself or anyone you know doing any of the following?
Online gambling is meant to be fun, and there's plenty you can do to keep it that way. Here are five expert tips to keep in mind to ensure that you’re practising responsible gambling:
The top licensed online casinos in NZ put a lot of effort into keeping things safe for everyone. As part of their licensing agreement, casinos are obligated to implement and offer responsible gambling measures like self-exclusion programmes, deposit limits and access to support resources. These practices help minimise the risk of problem gambling, ensuring a safer environment for all players.
Most casinos even have a section dedicated to responsible gambling, where they break down their approach and the tools at your disposal. Here's a quick rundown of what you might find:
Deposit limits let you set a cap on how much money you can deposit into your casino account. This helps you stick to your budget.
Betting limits work similarly to deposit limits, yet these focus on how much you can wager on a particular game. This is to help prevent players from placing excessive bets that they cannot afford to lose.
Loss limits help keep your net loss in check. Good days make up for bad ones, but if you hit your budget limit, you're paused until the period resets.
This tool determines how long you can gamble in one session. Once you hit the time limit, you're done for the day.
If you need a break from gambling, you can opt for a self-exclusion. This lets you block access to your casino account for a set time. It could be a few hours, days, months, or even permanently. During the self-exclusion period, you’ll be unable to log into your account or engage in any gambling activities on the platform.
This is a checklist or quiz provided by the casino to help you analyse your gambling habits. It's meant to inform you of any potential signs of problem gambling.
This feature is designed to remind players of the time they have spent gambling, how much money they have wagered, or the potential consequences of their gambling habits. You can customise how frequently you receive these reminders and, in some cases, the duration of intervals between notifications (e.g. every 30 minutes, hourly, etc).
If you find yourself struggling with gambling addiction and need help with problem gambling, the most important step is to acknowledge it and reach out. There are many organisations in New Zealand ready to support you, the most notable of which we’ve listed below:
The Problem Gambling Foundation NZ helps Kiwi players through counselling and support groups specifically designed to tackle problem gambling.
Grassroots Trust, which operates in accordance with the Gambling Act 2003, steps in by funding programmes that help communities recover from the negative impacts of excessive gambling.
Need someone to talk to? The Gambling Helpline is ready to assist 24/7 with any gambling concerns. The free service can help with immediate support or provide information services for problem gambling.
The Asian Family Services provides support for Asian communities living in New Zealand that have been affected by gambling harm and associated mental health issues.
Mapu Maia is all about supporting the Pasifika community with services in English, Samoan and Tongan aimed at preventing and treating problem gambling.
On top of the above, you’ve also got the option to use online blocking tools to actively cut off access to gambling sites and sportsbooks. These are some of the most well-known gambling blocker tools available to Kiwi players:
Gamban allows you to block gambling sites and apps on multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets and computers. It’s subscription-based and comes with a highly user-friendly interface.
BetBlocker is a free software tool that blocks over 84,900 sites and allows customisable self-exclusion periods. It supports various devices, including Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
GamBlock uses analytics to block new and existing gambling sites. The software requires a password to make changes, adding an extra layer of protection for those who may be tempted to disable it. It’s very robust and offers various plans.
If you’ve decided that the best course of action is to permanently close your online casino account, then here are the steps to follow:
The legal gambling age to play at online casinos, place a sports bet, enter the lottery or buy a scratch card in New Zealand is 18, while to gamble at brick-and-mortar casinos, you be must 20 or older. Parents and carers are responsible for preventing underage gambling.
Some of the steps you can take to protect this from happening include:
Everyone at Casino.co.nz gets just how crucial it is to advocate for responsible gambling – it's something we take to heart every day. Our entire team is dedicated to promoting healthy gambling habits through our content. We only partner with licensed and legitimate real money casinos and sportsbooks in New Zealand that feature responsible gambling tools and are committed to looking after the welfare of their players.
It’s essential that you monitor how much time and money you’re spending, and to take the necessary steps as outlined above if you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one.
Charlon has been working in iGaming since 2019. He started his journey in Malta with Paddy Power before establishing a successful freelance career, building on his previous industry experience. He specialises in online casinos, sportsbooks, payment methods and current trends and strategies from the perspective of a real player.
