Responsible Gambling in New Zealand
The Gambling Helpline NZ (0800 654 655) is the primary responsible-gambling support line in New Zealand. It is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from anywhere in the country. This page covers every responsible-gambling tool available at NZ casinos and pokies venue, the host-responsibility framework that every licensed operator must follow, self-exclusion procedures at both Class 3 and Class 4 venues, the role of the Problem Gambling Foundation, the Ministry of Health’s harm-minimisation work, and what to do if you or someone close to you needs support.
What responsible gambling tools exist in NZ casinos and pokies venues?
Every DIA-licensed gambling venue in New Zealand — casino or Class 4 pokies — must provide host-responsibility training for staff, display Gambling Helpline NZ (0800 654 655) signage, offer voluntary self-exclusion, prohibit ATMs on the gaming floor, and provide clocks and lighting that allow patrons to track time. Those requirements are set in the DIA’s host-responsibility regulations under the Gambling Act 2003 and apply uniformly across Class 3 casinos and pokies pubs and clubs.
Licensed Class 3 casinos add further tools on top of the shared Class 3/Class 4 baseline. The six New Zealand casinos — SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Wharf Queenstown, Wharf Casino Queenstown, Christchurch Casino, and Grand Casino Dunedin — operate a national multi-venue self-exclusion scheme, host-responsibility staff on the gaming floor 24/7 during operating hours, pre-commitment tools tied to loyalty-card programmes (where applicable), and hourly play-duration reminders on pokies machines. The 20-year minimum age at casinos is two years higher than the 18-year Class 4 minimum.
Pokies venue run the baseline host-responsibility toolset. Every Class 4 venue must display Gambling Helpline NZ signage inside the gaming room, provide staff trained to identify problem-gambling behaviours, offer single-venue self-exclusion on request, and prohibit ATMs on the gaming floor. Continuous-play reminders appear on machines at regular intervals, and every machine displays its return-to-player percentage. Full Class 4 regulatory detail is on the Class 4 gambling venues page.
What is host responsibility?
Host responsibility is the legal duty of DIA-licensed gambling venue operators to reduce gambling harm. It requires staff to be trained to identify problem-gambling behaviours, to intervene where appropriate, to offer self-exclusion, and to ensure underage patrons do not enter gaming areas. The framework is set in the DIA’s host-responsibility regulations under the Gambling Act 2003 and applies to every Class 3 casino and pokies venue in the country.
The Ministry of Health funds host-responsibility training and the DIA audits compliance. Training covers behavioural warning signs — chasing losses, spending longer than planned, emotional distress, requests to borrow money, secrecy about gambling — and the procedures staff should follow when they observe those signs. Staff must offer self-exclusion, signpost Gambling Helpline NZ, and in serious cases intervene directly with the patron.
Host responsibility also sets environmental requirements. No ATMs on the gaming floor means patrons must physically leave the gaming area to access cash, which creates a circuit-breaker between play and additional cash withdrawal. Visible clocks and windows (where practical) allow patrons to track real time — older gaming-floor designs that remove time cues are not permitted under current DIA rules. Regular machine play-duration reminders serve the same time-awareness function. Breaches of host responsibility are taken seriously and can trigger licence action against the venue and its operator.
How does self-exclusion work in NZ?
Any patron can request voluntary self-exclusion at any licensed venue in New Zealand. Self-exclusion is a binding agreement with the venue operator not to enter the gaming area for a specified period, and the venue is required to enforce the exclusion. Exclusion periods are typically set at six months, twelve months, or two years, with longer periods available on request.
For Class 3 casinos, the national multi-venue exclusion scheme means a self-exclusion requested at one of the six licensed casinos is enforceable at all six. A patron can self-exclude at SkyCity Auckland and be excluded from SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Wharf Queenstown, Wharf Casino Queenstown, Christchurch Casino, and Grand Casino Dunedin for the same period. This scheme is administered jointly by the casino operators and overseen by the DIA. Photo identification is part of the exclusion record so staff at all six venues can enforce it.
Class 4 venues run single-venue self-exclusion. A Class 4 exclusion is enforceable only at the venue where it was requested; it does not extend to other Class 4 venues or to casinos. Patrons seeking wider exclusion across multiple Class 4 venues must request exclusion at each venue separately. The DIA supports the existing single-venue model while continuing to review wider-scheme options for Class 4.
Breaking a self-exclusion — returning to an excluded venue during the exclusion period — is not a criminal offence, but the venue is required to remove the excluded patron and can refuse to return any bets placed in breach of the exclusion. The exclusion period resets if re-entry occurs during the original term. Self-exclusion is a personal harm-reduction tool, not a punishment, and the system is designed to support people who want to stop gambling.
Who is the Gambling Helpline NZ?
Gambling Helpline NZ is a 24/7 telephone counselling service on 0800 654 655. It is funded by the Ministry of Health and delivered by trained counsellors. The service is free, confidential, and available from anywhere in New Zealand — including casinos, pokies venue, and private homes. Calls can be anonymous, and the service is available in English, te reo Māori, and several Pacific languages on request.
The Helpline is not an enforcement service — it does not report back to the DIA or to any venue operator. It is a support service for people affected by their own gambling or by someone else’s gambling. Counsellors provide short-term support over the phone, help callers build harm-reduction plans, and refer to in-person services such as the Problem Gambling Foundation when longer-term counselling is needed.
The Helpline number must be displayed at every DIA-licensed gambling venue under the DIA’s host-responsibility rules. The number appears on pokies machines, on gaming-floor signage, on self-exclusion forms, and in printed host-responsibility material. The Ministry of Health has run the Helpline since the Gambling Act 2003 came into force, and call volumes are reported annually in the Ministry’s gambling-harm statistics.
What is the Problem Gambling Foundation?
The Problem Gambling Foundation (pgf.nz) is a New Zealand charity providing counselling, harm-reduction programmes, and advocacy for people affected by gambling harm. It has offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and several regional centres, and its counsellors deliver both face-to-face and telephone support across the country. The Foundation has operated in New Zealand for more than three decades.
The Foundation provides free counselling for gamblers and for family members affected by someone else’s gambling. Counselling is confidential and is not shared with the DIA or with any venue operator. The Foundation also runs self-assessment tools on its website that help individuals check whether their gambling is affecting their wellbeing, alongside group and family programmes for longer-term support.
Specialist services within the Problem Gambling Foundation cover Pacific-specific, Māori-specific, Asian-specific, and youth-specific support needs. The Foundation’s Pasifika service and Māori-led Kaupapa Māori service acknowledge that gambling harm affects different communities in New Zealand in different ways and requires culturally appropriate responses. The wider responsible-gambling ecosystem also includes Safer Gambling Aotearoa, Salvation Army Oasis, Mapu Maia, and a network of regional community providers.
How do deposit limits and spending controls work?
At Class 3 casinos, spending controls are available through loyalty-card programmes — SkyCity Premier Rewards at the SkyCity group venues and equivalent programmes at Christchurch Casino and Grand Casino Dunedin. Patrons can set session time limits, daily spend limits, and weekly loss limits on their loyalty cards. Once the limits are set, the card enforces them at the pokies machine and at the customer service desk. Pre-commitment is currently optional at New Zealand Class 3 casinos.
Pokies venue do not currently offer a pre-commitment tool equivalent to the casino loyalty-card schemes. Spending control at a Class 4 venue is self-managed — the patron chooses how much to spend within their own budget. The DIA host-responsibility framework requires venue staff to intervene where they observe problem-gambling behaviour, and single-venue self-exclusion is the main structured tool available.
From 1 December 2026, the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 introduces mandatory deposit-limit and session-limit tools for licensed online casinos serving New Zealand players. Every licensed online operator will be required to offer daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits, session-duration limits, and account-history access. These tools will be mandatory rather than optional on licensed online platforms — a significant difference from the current land-based regime. Full 2026-Act detail is on the New Zealand gambling law page.
What signs indicate problem gambling?
Problem-gambling warning signs include spending more money on gambling than planned, chasing losses by increasing bets to try to recover, borrowing money to gamble, hiding gambling from family or friends, and gambling affecting work, study, or relationships. Those behaviours are part of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the main screening tool used in New Zealand to identify gambling harm.
The Ministry of Health estimates that 2% to 5% of New Zealand adults are classified as at-risk or problem gamblers at any given time — roughly 80,000 to 200,000 people. The exact figure depends on which screening tool is applied and is updated periodically in the Ministry’s National Gambling Study. Pacific and Māori communities are disproportionately represented in problem-gambling cases, and a significant share of gambling harm is experienced by family and friends of the person gambling rather than the person themselves.
Other warning signs include feeling irritable or anxious when unable to gamble, gambling to escape from stress or problems, and lying about how much or how often gambling occurs. The Problem Gambling Foundation runs a self-assessment tool on its website that lets an individual check their own responses against the standard screening questions. Early identification and early intervention produce better outcomes than waiting for gambling harm to reach crisis level.
Who can I call for help?
For gambling-specific support: Gambling Helpline NZ on 0800 654 655 (24/7, free, confidential). For in-person counselling: Problem Gambling Foundation on 0800 664 262 (pgf.nz). Both services are available anywhere in New Zealand and both are free.
For acute crisis: Lifeline on 0800 543 354, or call 111 if there is an immediate safety risk. For mental-health support: 1737 (free text or call, staffed by counsellors). For family violence: Women’s Refuge on 0800 733 843 or Shine on 0508 744 633. For financial help: MoneyTalks on 0800 345 123 provides free budget advice that can help with debts that have built up from gambling.
For regulatory complaints or concerns about a specific licensed venue: Department of Internal Affairs on 0800 257 887. The DIA handles breaches of the Gambling Act 2003 and is the right contact for reporting an unlicensed gambling operation, suspected underage admission, or any Host-Responsibility breach. The DIA does not provide counselling — Gambling Helpline NZ and the Problem Gambling Foundation are the support-service routes.
Every licensed casino and pokies venue in New Zealand displays the Gambling Helpline NZ number — 0800 654 655 — on gaming-floor signage, on every pokies machine, and in the host-responsibility literature available at the venue. Take a photo of the number if you think you or someone close to you might need it later.
Return to Casinos in New Zealand or New Zealand gambling law.