Bill Fails To Offset Social Harm Caused To Kiwi Communities

While the Online Casino Gambling Bill 2025 refers to harm prevention and minimisation, it takes no steps to offset the effect of the actual harm that it enables, irrespective of the purposeful steps which may be taken to minimise or prevent it.

In believing that this harm must be offset by investment into community activities which provide a positive outcome and build social capital, the Association exhorts Members of Parliament to adopt its seven amendments to the Bill, to correct this drafting oversight, and to ensure that Kiwi communities are compensated for social harm caused.

The Association believes that there has been inadequate consultation by officials in the drafting of this Bill, which is likely to result in unintended consequences for community sport organisations, which in turn will have a material impact on the Government’s ability to enact policies which contribute to “long-term social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of New Zealanders.”

We note that the Department of Internal Affairs' "Departmental Disclosure Statement", states that there was no external consultation in the preparation of the Bill, which we believe will result in unintended consequences affecting community sport (and other non-profit and charitable sectors of the New Zealand economy).

The Association has noticed that by drafting the new legislation outside of the "Gambling Act 2003", the Bill officials have avoided specific obligations of the "Gambling (Harm Prevention and Minimisation) Regulations 2004", which determine how net proceeds from licensed gambling activities are otherwise to be distributed to the community, to offset harm caused. Additionally, the Association notes that the definition of "gambling" in the Gambling Act 2003 is also excluded from the definition of "gambling" in the Bill.

We suggest that, in fact, there is no need for a new Bill (i.e., "online casino gambling" could easily have been included in a series of amendments to the current Gambling Act 2003 and the associated Regulations).

However, if this Bill is to proceed, the Association has suggested a number of recommended amendments to Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee, which will have the effect of ensuring that online gambling licensees are required to financially contribute directly to communities in which social harm will occur as a result of their licensed gambling activities.

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