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Harm Minimisation Update

Harm Minimisation Update. Regional Forums 2013. Gambling Act 2003. Purpose: Prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling, including problem gambling “Harm”: Harm/distress from a person’s gambling. Includes: personal, social, or economic harm Includes: harm suffered in the work place

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Harm Minimisation Update

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  1. Harm Minimisation Update Regional Forums 2013

  2. Gambling Act 2003 • Purpose: Prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling, including problem gambling • “Harm”: Harm/distress from a person’s gambling. • Includes: personal, social, or economic harm • Includes:harm suffered in the work place • Suffered by: the gambler; their partner, family, community • “Problem gambler”: Means a person whose gambling causes harm or may cause harm

  3. Gaming Machines and Harm • Gaming machines: The most harmful form of gambling • Due to continuous nature / reinforcement schedules / gaming machine design • One in six people played class 4 gaming machines in NZ study (HSC, 2011) • About one in five regular gaming machine gamblers experience problems at some stage (DIA) • Problem gambling disproportionately affects people living in high deprivation areas (AUT, 2013; MoH, 2012) • Higher risk gamblers account for a large share of proceeds • E.g. Problem gamblers may account for 22% to 60% of spend (e.g. APC, 2010)

  4. Statutory Responsibilities • Parliament: Makes and amends acts and regulations • Department of Internal Affairs: Primary regulator of sector. Addresses problem gambling through regulation and enforcement of supply of gambling and manner in which it is provided. • Ministry of Health: Responsible for development of integrated gambling strategy focused on public health. • Strategy includes public health promotion, problem gambling services, independent research and evaluation. • Gambling Commission: Independent statutory decision-making body. The Commission hears appeals on licensing and enforcement decisions made by Department in relation to class 4 gaming machines. • For interest: The Commission recently reviewed Auckland Casino Host Responsibility Programme. • Key changes include: Managing continuous play; decline of independent evaluation; removal of limited play option; and potential use of technology to control entry.

  5. The Department’s Role • Administers gambling legislation • Provides public information and education • Licenses gambling activities • Grants, suspends, cancels and renews class 4 licences • Ensures compliance with the legislation • Audits and investigates • Develops / Approves: • Licence conditions • Game rules • Gazette notices • Minimum standards

  6. Role of Gambling Providers • Gambling providers play an important role in minimising and preventing harm caused by gambling. • Regulations include: • Requirement to provide information about problem gambling • Requirement to provide problem gambling awareness training • Act includes: • Age restrictions • Requirements relating to development, and use of problem gambling policy • Requirements relating to exclusions

  7. The Current NZ Regulations[The Gambling (Harm Prevention and Minimisation) Regulations 2004] Requirements of the existing regulations: • Declare certain venues unsuitable. • Prohibit ATMs from gambling area. • Max stake = $2.50 / max prize = $500 - $1000. • Gaming machines must display messages. • Gaming machines must interrupt play. • Jackpot advertising / branding restricted. • Requirement to provide information about problem gambling • Requirement to provide problem gambling awareness training

  8. The Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Act • Came into effect on 14 September 2013. • Introduces a new regulation-making power that could require the use of pre-commitment, or other harm-minimisation technology. • The Minister has expressed commitment towards exploring whether to make new regulations. • The Department is to assess a whole range of harm minimisation initiatives, to determine the most effective.

  9. Pre-commitment – What is it?(Ladoucuer et al., 2012) • Pre-commitment:Systemenabling gamblers to set time and/or money limits prior to play. • Promoting personal responsibility and reinforcing self-control: • Gamblers(not just problem gamblers) may “experience high levels of arousal, lose track of time and experience dissociated states while gambling, making it difficult to monitor and control behaviours.” • Problem gamblers “experience urges to continue gambling, gamble longer than intended, report an inability to cease despite repeated attempts and fail to moderate their level of involvement”. • Pre-commitment models: Full vs. partial.

  10. Overseas pre-commitment Nova Scotia: ‘My Play’ trials: • Card based system. • Tools include: information, pre-commitment and exclusion. • Participants reported they played more responsibility. • System rated highly by participants. Norway: Dramatically altered gambling environment. • July 2007: All gaming machines removed. • 2008: Low-intensity gaming machines with full pre-commitment installed. • Revenue initially decreased in 2007, subsequently increased in 2008. • Caution surrounds interpreting any results due to the change in the nature (intensity) of the gaming machines.

  11. Overseas pre-commitment - Australia Rudd-Gillard Government: • In 2012 federal legislation was passed requiring: • Voluntary pre-commitment; warnings; $250 withdrawal limits. • To be phased in over a decade. • All gaming machines to be part of state-wide pre-commitment system. • Mandatory pre-commitment trials in Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Political change: • New Coalition Government under Tony Abbot. • Coalition’s (pre-election) policy to help problem gamblers stated: • It will put a stop to mandatory ACT trial. • Although supports voluntary pre-commitment. • Wishes to develop a realistic time table for ensuring gaming machines are capable of being networked to venue-based voluntary systems.

  12. Third – Party Initiatives • The Department supports development of new initiatives, technologies and services which aim to reduce harm. • Department is committed to ensuring harm is minimised as much as practical. • However, all products need robust ARN assessment prior to purchasing. • Not appropriate to spend gambling proceeds (that would otherwise go to authorised purposes) on research and development costs. • Must also keep in mind potential for unintended consequences; or conflict with Act’s requirements.

  13. Multi-Venue Exclusion Programme • Expansion plans of the MVE Programme into: • Masterton (and surrounding areas) • Porirua • Palmerston North • Wairoa • New Plymouth • Whangarei • Far North • Upper Hutt • Most of NZ should be covered by the end of this year.

  14. Looking Forward • Stakeholder’s Reference Group (Harm prevention and minimisation) • Next meeting - scheduled for around November (TBC). • Potential topics: • Safer Gambling Venues? • The Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Act – Pre-commitment? • Department’s Harm Minimisation Regulations Review?

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