NZ gambling rates decline, ethnic groups at risk

Monday 15th of December 2014

The rate of gambling participation in New Zealand has fallen, though minorities and certain social groups are more at risk of developing a problem, according to a new survey from AUT University, and funded by the Ministry of Health as part of the National Gambling Study.

The survey, billed as one of the largest ever done in the country, found approximately 23,500 adults are problem gamblers and a further 60,500 adults are at significant risk of developing serious problems.

However, the overall gambling participation rate has fallen to 80 percent in 2012, down from 86 percent in 1999, while an increasing number of people said they had never gambled at 14 percent.

The survey also found fewer people gamble weekly or more, at 22 percent, less than half the number who gambled frequently in 1991, which was then put at 48 percent.

The survey found that 0.7 percent of adults are problem gamblers, experiencing significant problems, and a further 1.8 percent are moderate-risk gamblers, experiencing some gambling-related harms and at risk of developing more serious problems.

“Whereas around 84,000 adults are problem or moderate-risk gamblers, approximately 386,000 report gambling-related arguments in their household and 430,000 indicate they are going without something needed or not paying bills because of gambling. Financial impacts were most common, followed by relationship breakups, family stress, loss of trust and frustration, anger and resentment". Lead researcher Professor Max Abbott says Maori, Pacific Islanders and some other social groups are much more greatly affected. Pacific Island males are over four times more likely to be problem or moderate-risk gamblers than males in the total population. Maori and Pacific Island females are about twice as likely to be problem or moderate risk gamblers.