Pacific adults who gamble are more likely to develop problem gambling than European adults in New Zealand. The authors examined the gambling experiences of Tongan men in New Zealand. Eighteen young Tongan men (To’utupu) participated in focus group talanoa and individual talanoa. The researchers discussed three different learning hubs of gambling behaviours. At home, most of the Tongan youth saw their family members participate in gambling. At school, Tongan youth played games to socialize with friends. Sometimes these games were used as a form of bullying whereby Tongan youth were forced to gamble with their lunch money. These social games were often not recognized as gambling. Tongan youth also learned about gambling from the media. Tongan youth mentioned that the media often present gambling as “cool” and a harmless form of entertainment. Some Tongan youth imitated the gambling practices of celebrities and elite sports athletes.
