The Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) wants gambling advertising banned in New Zealand before the country’s regulated online casino market opens.
Andree Froude, the charity’s advocacy director, said the current advertising laws fall short and called for tighter rules with stricter enforcement. She said some of the companies applying for licenses had treated their law as optional for quite some time.
Eleven operators have won 15 online casino licenses between them. They include Stake, Entain, SkyCity, SkillOnNet, LCKY, Rock Swift Group and Christchurch Online NZ, and Super Group won the rights for three of its brands. Offshore operators that did not get a license must stop trading in New Zealand by December 1.
New advertising rules, which the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) will oversee, take effect in June 2027. Until then, gambling ads remain under the Advertising Standards Authority.
The PGF has been talking to the DIA and wants the department to have enough resources to check that operators comply.
Froude said:
“A large penalty means little if we don’t enforce it.”
She also said the existing ban on offshore advertising has not worked, and pointed to graffiti, deals with influencers and ads on social media. She called a strict approach to advertising an “essential first step” in dealing with the public health risks of opening the market.
