This research report is one of the first studies in New Zealand to focus specifically on the financial impacts experienced by people in close social contact with people who gamble. The report uncovered significant financial harms experienced by the partners, family, and friends of people who gamble. Among people affected by another person’s gambling, more than three in four experienced direct financial harm, including overdue bills, lost savings, and reduced spending money. These harms were often accompanied by emotional stress, relationship strain, and economic control by the person gambling. The authors suggest focusing on changes to the legislation and regulation of the gambling and financial sectors to provide greater protection against gambling-related financial harms, among several other recommendations.
Selected findings include:
- 75.9% of surveyed affected others reported experiencing at least one type of financial harm due to someone else’s gambling.
- The types of financial harms and economic control differed by gender and ethnicity.
- 51.7% of surveyed affected others reported that at least one financial product or service had played a role in the financial harms that they experienced (e.g., 'buy now, pay later' services, payday loans).
- 77.0% had used at least one informal strategy and 50.5% had used at least one formal strategy (50.5%) to help prevent, reduce, or address the financial impacts.
- Some harm-reduction tools such as voluntary gambling blocks for credit cards, gambling venue exclusions, and hardship support exist, but uptake was low among surveyed affected others.
