In New Zealand, Māori and Pasifika continue to be disproportionately affected by gambling.
Photo: Screenshot
A new digital platform and advertisement campaign has been launched to combat the harms of gambling in Aotearoa.
Chief operating officer at Hāpai Te Hauora Jason Alexander said it was an important move to help shift the balance back towards whānau.
“Firstly, a campaign to help whānau understand the harm from gambling – it’s not just harmless fun. And then the Pātea, our digital app to give them some tools to help them get through any harms they’re suffering from.”
Gambling loss in Aotearoa sits over $2.6 billion each year, Māori and Pasifika continue to be disproportionately affected.
The campaign was created by Mahitahi Agency in partnership with Hāpai Te Hauora, Te Rangihaeata Oranga Trust and Poutiri Charitable Trust.
There are two ads – Their House Always Wins and The Game is Rigged, Don’t Get Played – which shows how the gambling industry is designed to keep people hooked.
Alongside the ads, the new digital platform Pātea provides a tool to help people “pause and reflect” on gambling behaviours and get support.
Pātea, meaning to be free or lifted of burden, is an indigenously designed, built and operated platform.
It was co-designed using people who have lived experience of gambling harm, to ensure every part of the app feels supportive, culturally grounded and whānau-friendly.
Speakers at the launch described gambling as a silent harm – often hidden from view but deeply felt by their whānau.
General manager of Hāpai Te Hauora Jessikha Makoare said the campaign came at a critical time as gambling exposure for tamariki and whānau was set to increase.
“Our tamariki and whānau are already exposed to gambling harms, and with new regulations allowing advertising and up to 15 more online casino licences, this will only get worse.
“The new normal we need to see is a collective understanding that gambling is harmful – and that the industry is operating exactly as it was intended to.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.