The government is reviewing the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm for 2019/20 to 2021/22 in response to the increasing number of people affected by gambling harm, no improvement in harm reduction over the past seven years and persistent health inequities for the most affected at-risk population groups. It is proposing an outcomes framework, promoting safer gambling environments and host responsibilities, targeted research on harm reduction and prevention, introducing residential care and peer support and piloting new service models within the current budget. It asks, but makes not proposals about “incentivising” operators to move machines as needs assessment shows that approximately 50 percent of all electronic gaming machines or ‘pokies’ are in the most socioeconomically deprived areas of the country.
Please send feedback to marilyn.head@nzno.org.nz by September 18, 2018.