Notice Board - News

New Gambling Regulations come into force

Department of Internal Affairs, National

Comprehensive regulations to prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling come into effect on Saturday, 1 October 2005.

Media Release 29 September 2005

Department of Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary Andrew Secker said that from Saturday all gambling operators with gaming machines in pubs, clubs, casinos and other venues must adhere to the new regulations.

These regulations are important steps in ensuring that the harm caused by gambling is prevented and minimised, one of the major objectives of the Gambling Act 2003.

From 1 October all new gaming machines must:

• At a gambler's choice, display information about the games on that machine and about the gambler's session of play
• Automatically interrupt play, at intervals of no more than 30 minutes, and provide information including how long that session of gambling has been and how much money has been won or lost, and must ask if the gambler wishes to continue.

These Regulations will also apply to all gaming machines from 1 July 2009.

Further requirements that come into effect from 1 October include:

• Jackpots must not be advertised outside a gambling venue, and if they are advertised inside a venue the advertisements must not be seen or heard outside
• The word 'jackpot' (or any other similar word or branding) cannot be published in a way that explicitly or implicitly gives the impression that there is a gaming machine jackpot at the venue
• There must always be staff who have had problem gambling awareness training at the venue when gambling is available, equipping them to approach people who seem to have gambling problems and offer assistance and information.

Mr Secker said the gambling sector was well aware of the new regulations. Gaming machine operators had been consulted on all of the new regulations prior to their assent in August last year, and a number of communications had been sent to the sector since then.

Last month the Department also conducted a 'Harm Prevention and Minimisation' Roadshow for gaming machine operators at 26 venues around the country. The Roadshow presentations were well received.

More information about the Regulations is available from the Department's website, www.dia.govt.nz.

Media contact: Andrew Secker, Deputy Secretary. Phone 04 4959329, Cellular 027 2815211. Ronnie Anderson, Communications Advisor. Phone 04 494 0570, Cellular 027 471 9464.