Measuring Gambling-Related Financial Harm in New Zealand

This webinar presents a report on gambling-related financial harms among affected others in New Zealand, and the role of gender and ethnicity. The report was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Health, and carried out by Auckland University of Technology Gambling and Addictions Research Centre and Greo Evidence Insights. The research involved an advisory group, a literature search, a jurisdictional scan of policies and programs, online survey of 644 affected others, in-depth interviews with 29 affected others, and knowledge mobilization activities for various audiences. 

Finding include:

• Three in four surveyed affected others reported experiencing at least one type of financial harm due to someone else’s gambling. 
• Three in five surveyed affected others experienced at least one issue related to economic control. 
• Women were more likely than men to report being late on their bill payments due to someone else’s gambling.
• Māori were more likely than non-Māori to report gambling while accompanying the other person during their gambling, having late payments on bills, and less spending on essential expenses.
• Pacific people were more likely than non-Pacific people (excluding Māori) to report a loss of supply of utilities and less spending on essential expenses.

Recommendations include:

• Structural changes to the legislation and regulation of the gambling and financial sectors, to provide greater protection against gambling-related financial harm.
• Harm mitigation measures for financial products, such as interest rate caps on credit-related services, and strengthen financial safeguards related to gambling, such as gambling transaction blocking or credit card restrictions.