Gambling and Everyday Life: The Cost Between Bets
For someone dealing with repeated losses, practical safeguards can make a difference to daily life. Separate money for rent and food reduces immediate exposure. Some New Zealand banks offer ways to block gambling transactions on eligible cards. Multi-Venue Exclusion can keep a person out of selected pokie venues and casinos. Counselling can address the stress, loneliness, grief or other difficulties that gambling has been used to escape. These measures have limits: a card block does not cover every payment method, and exclusion from a physical venue does not automatically remove access to an overseas website.
Support is available beyond a crisis. PGF Services offers confidential counselling for people who gamble and for affected whānau. Asian Family Services provides culturally and linguistically responsive support. Hāpai Te Hauora's gambling-harm resources connect Māori perspectives with prevention, while Pātea offers a kaupapa Māori digital approach. Touchgrass focuses on younger people dealing with gambling and gaming-related difficulties.
New Zealand's Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day on 0800 654 655, with free text support on 8006. Support also extends to people worried about a partner, parent, child or friend. Protecting household money and setting boundaries need not depend on persuading the person who gambles to agree that everything has gone wrong.
