Responsible Gambling

Gambling has been enjoyed for thousands of years, and in New Zealand, it’s been dated back to the time of the Maori settlers! Back then, games of chance and skill were both a form of entertainment and were considered important in social circles. Fast-forward to today, and gambling is enjoyed by millions of Kiwis. The most popular forms of gambling, however, like horse racing and pokies, started to gain popularity in the 19th century.

Today, punters from New Zealand have more opportunities to gamble than ever before, from land-based venues to online gaming.

With this increase in opportunities to gamble, however, comes an increased risk of irresponsible or excessive gambling. The Gambling Laws 2003, the more refined version of the Gambling Laws 1908, were designed to protect punters from harmful gambling, and operators and their people from some of these possible consequences.

Here at DashTickets, we understand that gambling isn’t always a fun activity for everyone – and that’s why we place great care in ensuring our platform is as safe as possible. This dedicated responsible gambling hub is designed to provide information about responsible gambling, and ensure that anyone struggling to manage their gambling can get the help and support they need.

What Does Problem Gambling Look Like?

Pathological, or compulsive gambling, is most commonly known as gambling addiction, although in some countries it’s also known as a disorder. Gambling addiction is a serious mental health condition where a person has a persistent and uncontrollable urge to gamble. Those suffering with problem gambling are at risk of life-changing complications, including:

• Financial Issues: Problem gamblers almost always suffer financial problems, with many going bankrupt or depleting savings. Some compulsive gamblers may turn to crime to other illicit activities to fund their gambling habits, while others may borrow money or sell possessions to allow them to continue gambling.
• Relationship Problems: People struggling with their gambling levels often have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues. This can be due to neglect, lies, or broken promises (not paying back friends, for example.)
• Neglecting Responsibilities: Problem gamblers often neglect core responsibilities in their life, such as family obligations, work, or studies. As a result, they can end up losing their jobs, failing university, and breaking (otherwise healthy) relationships.
• Poor General Health: It’s well-documented that problem gamblers also tend to neglect their own health. From poor dental hyegine to ignoring skin conditions, this can have a direct impact on overall quality of life, and even life-expectancy.
• Depression & Other Mental Health Conditions: Problem gamblers often struggle with a number of mental health conditions. This most often includes depression, but anger and feelings of hopelessness can also develop – sometimes, even leading to suicidal ideation.

Signs Of Problem Gambling

If you feel that you, or one of your loved ones, may be struggling with problem gambling, here are some of the most common signs to look out for:

• You find yourself constantly thinking about gambling activities, including actively planning for your next gambling session, thinking of “how to win” strategies, or planning how to get more money for gambling.
• You’ve tried stopping, controlling, or cutting back on gambling, without luck.
• You find yourself chasing losses.
• You notice yourself lying to friends, family members, or loved ones about how much time or money you spend gambling.
• You neglect your relationships or adult duties in order to gamble.
• You find yourself needing to gamble larger amounts of month to get the same “thrill”.
• You become easily irritable when you’re trying to cut back on gambling, or when you’re losing.
• You start borrowing money in order to fund your gambling habit.

If you notice any of the above in yourself, or a family member/loved one, it could indicate that you’re suffering with problem gambling; see resources and help below.

Responsible Gambling Tools

Today, virtually every online casino on planet earth offers the ability for players to set limits. (If you find a casino that doesn’t, you should steer well-clear.)

Here at DashTickets, we strongly advise setting these limits before you begin playing, as it will ensure that even if you feel yourself losing control, you’ll be unable to gamble any more money. Below, we’ll walk you through some of the most common responsible gambling tools available online:

Responsibilities Of Gambling Companies

If you play at a regulated, licensed, and responsible online gambling operator in New Zealand, you will be playing on a platform that should never try to incentivise problem gamblers to keep playing. While New Zealand doesn’t (yet) have any regulatory frameworks for domestic operators, offshore casinos are still required to treat all players fairly, and all reputable sites have a range of tools and systems in place to detect and prevent problem gambling, where possible:

• Verification: Verifying the age and address of players through a Know Your Customer (KYC) check. Additional Source of Wealth (SOW) checks may also be required.
• Training: All employees are trained in responsible gambling practices, and they are also trained to detect or assist players who may be displaying signs of problematic gambling.
• Resources For Problematic Gambling: Gambling companies should provide resources and information to players on the responsible gambling tools offered at their site, and provide links to external resources. 
• Self-Exclusion: Every online gambling platform should provide self-exclusion programmes that allow players to ban themselves from the website entirely for a pre-set period of time.

Protection Of Children

To help prevent minors from accessing gambling products, all reputable gambling companies put strict age-gating and verification processes in place. This varies slightly between operators, but generally includes identity checks to confirm a customer is of legal age before withdrawals and, sometimes, even deposits, can be made. The goal is this: if a user can’t prove they’re old enough, they shouldn’t be able to gamble.

Operators also have a duty to take some additional steps beyond verification, including working with regulators and following recognised safer-gambling standards – all of which are designed to reduce the risk of underage “exposure”. Again, this varies between sites, but typically, it includes clear warnings, educational material, and strict rules on advertising and marketing to make sure underage persons aren’t faced with gambling-related material.

New Zealand Gambling Charities and Help Organisations

Various organisations in New Zealand offer help to those who are struggling with gambling addiction. If you or someone you know is suffering from it, check out the organisations below who can help you:

• National Addictions Centre: Research and treatment centre for problem gamblers.
• Problem Gambling Foundation Of New Zealand: Non-profit organisation that provides resources, information, and support for those struggling and their families.
• Ministry Of Health: They provide information on how to access support services, and they also offer resources for problem gamblers.
• Gamblers Annonymous: Support group for punters who are struggling with gambling problems.
• Mental Health Foundation Of New Zealand: Research and treatment center that provides resources and support for people struggling with mental health issues such as addiction, including gambling addiction.