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Gambling in New Zealand could fund local community groups

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Community funding through the Online Casino Gambling Bill has been introduced in New Zealand, as the minister of internal affairs says they are ‘listening to New Zealanders.’

Brooke van Velden, the minister of internal affairs, announced the introduction on Wednesday (October 29) as she said: “The message from communities was loud and clear – if we’re regulating online gambling, they want to see benefits flow back to local sports clubs, community groups, and grassroots organisations.

“I have listened, and now as a Government, we are delivering on what matters most to communities across the country.”

What is the new Offshore Gambling Duty bill in New Zealand?

The proposed change increases the Offshore Gambling Duty from 12% to 16%. A total of 4% has been ringfenced specifically for community returns which will create an entirely new funding stream for New Zealand communities.

“While I am confident the regulated online casino market will provide new community funding opportunities for New Zealand sports clubs and community organisations, I do acknowledge that predicting the exact impact on existing Class 4 [pokies] returns creates some uncertainty,” Brooke continued.

“Cabinet has agreed on a two-year review after implementation of the community returns policy to assess the impact of online casino gambling on other forms of gambling and community returns.”

The bill attempts to address a gap in New Zealand’s regulatory framework. “Right now, Kiwis are gambling on thousands of overseas websites with no safety nets, no spending limits, and no recourse when things go wrong. That’s unacceptable.

“This Bill brings those operators under New Zealand law, with proper consumer protections, harm minimisation measures, and now – community benefits.”

Van Velden confirmed that this would be new money on top of existing funding from ‘pokies, Lotto, and TAB.’ She added that they’re not taking anything away, but adding to what’s already there, and reiterated this point in a recent LinkedIn post.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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