Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden welcomes the Governance and Administration Committee [Committee] report back of the Online Casino Gambling Bill [Bill].
This report marks a crucial step forward in advancing online gambling regulations that protect Kiwis from harm. I’m pleased the report aligns strongly with Government decisions,” says Ms van Velden.
The Committee received over 5000 submissions from individuals and organisations and heard oral evidence on the Bill. Of these, 3,966 submissions raised concerns about community returns from gambling revenue.
Community returns are a source of funding taken from gambling revenue that gets distributed back to sports clubs and community groups to support grassroots activities. For example, it has been used to buy new kayaks for local sea scouts and help Special Olympics athletes get to national competitions.
“Many groups were concerned that more gambling online would mean less gambling on pokie machines, and therefore a decrease to the level of funding returning to community groups.
“Submissions clearly showed New Zealanders want community returns from online gambling activity to ensure communities continue to get the funding they need. Cabinet agreed to provide these returns, and the Committee supported that decision,” Ms van Velden.
The Committee also recommended that the Lottery Grants Board be responsible for distributing community returns, which aligns with recent Cabinet decisions.
Other key themes raised in submissions included that regulating online casinos could normalise gambling and lead to greater harm, as well as concerns about the potential harm from gambling advertising.
“I’ve listened carefully to these concerns. The regulatory settings the Bill will put in place are intended to reduce gambling harm first and foremost. This represents a significant improvement from the status quo where there are no safeguards to protect Kiwis gambling online.
“We will review online casino gambling’s impact on pokies revenue after two years to ensure that community returns are still providing adequate funding for community and sports groups.
“This is an important piece of legislation that will bring online casino gambling under New Zealand law for the first time. I look forward to seeing it progress through the House,” says Ms van Velden.
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