One tap away: the online gambling crisis affecting young Kiwis

New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Bill is coming into effect on May 1, designed to minimise harm and regulate unlicensed offshore platforms for the first time.

However, concerns are growing that young Kiwis are still vulnerable, with experts warning that the damage may already be running deeper than reported figures suggest.

People aged 15-24 are now the most likely age group in New Zealand to gamble with online casinos according to the Ministry of Health's 2023/24 New Zealand Gambling Survey.

Problem Gambling Foundation’s advocacy and communications director, Andree Froude, says "online gambling is available to young people 24/7 and can literally be carried around in your pocket".

“This makes it an easily hidden and extremely high-risk form of gambling."

Unlicensed offshore gambling operators have increasingly targeted young New Zealanders through social media, with little regulation in place to stop them.

Some operators have even approached university students, offering them payment in exchange for website promotion.

TAB has come under scrutiny for targeting young men aged 18-29 through platforms like TikTok, offering inducements like bonus bets and deposit matches to encourage sign-ups.

AUT student Ricky has been gambling since the day he turned 18 and says the sign-up processes on many apps have little to stop young people from accessing them.

“Some apps don't even make you confirm your age before you deposit money, only when you want to withdraw.”

For Ricky, what started as casual $5 bets with friends quickly developed into something more serious.

“Once you get into a mindset of chasing your losses, you're just digging the hole even deeper.

“Sometimes I'd play around with $20 just to see what I could make, and I'd end up spending half my weekly pay losing it all.”

Despite the growing number of young people falling into online gambling, the full scale of harm remains largely hidden.

Stigma, shame, and a lack of awareness around available support act as barriers to young people seeking help.

Froude says the problem runs deeper than reported figures suggest.

“We know there is a lot more harm out there than what we are seeing.

“Many young people experiencing harm don't seek help due to the stigma and shame.”

The Problem Gambling Foundation is urging young people to take steps to protect themselves through their Ban, Block, Bounce & Boost strategy.

This involves banning gambling sites through software like Gamban, blocking gambling ads through social media settings, bouncing transactions by asking banks to block gambling payments, and boosting their network by reaching out to support services or someone they trust.

(TWN has agreed not to use the full name of Ricky).

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AI was used to help with research.