Although a relatively small proportion of the population are at risk of a serious gambling problem, the harm caused by gambling extends to families, friends, businesses and the community. HPA works towards strengthening society’s response to gambling, and preventing and reducing gambling harm.
Participants in the 2010 Health and Lifestyles Survey (HLS) were asked questions about their experience of gambling-related harm in the past 12 months.
Key Results
• Around one in five New Zealanders have a close friend or family member who has gambled more than they intended at least once; around one in 20 New Zealanders have experienced arguments or money problems in their household because of gambling.
• Playing pokies in a pub or club is the gambling activity most commonly associated with gamblingrelated arguments and money problems and people gambling more than intended.
• Māori and Pacific peoples and people from more deprived neighbourhoods are more likely than European/Other people and people from less deprived neighbourhoods to have a friend or family member who has gambled more than intended, and to be affected by gambling-related arguments and money problems. This is likely to reflect the greater accessibility of gambling modes to these groups: pokie venues are present in higher concentrations in more deprived neighbourhoods (Wheeler et al., 2006) and Māori and Pacific people are overrepresented in more deprived neighbourhoods (White et al., 2008).