New Zealand is on the cusp of issuing licences for commercial online casinos, but to protect players from gambling harm, advertising should not be part of the upcoming regulated market, according to the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) Services’ Principal Advisor, Advocacy and Engagement, Andree Froude.
Speaking to Ingrid Hipkiss of RNZ, Froude noted that the impact advertising can have on encouraging people to gamble means that it should be banned if New Zealand is serious about protecting the most vulnerable from gambling harm.
Froude said: “Look, advertising works. We know that. That’s why these companies spend so much money on it, but if we’re really serious about preventing harm, then we need to prohibit gambling advertising.
“The World Health Organisation agrees with that. It says that it’s an essential first step for governments to take to be able to curb the damage that gambling is causing to public health.”
Last week, New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) co..