Protecting youth: New Zealand’s new legislation on Lotto sales

Sudhanshu Ranjan January 15, 2025

SiGMA news

New legislation in New Zealand aims to prohibit the sale of all Lotto products, both in-store and online, to anyone under the age of 18. Advocates like the Problem Gambling Foundation support this move, highlighting the dangers of introducing gambling to children at a young age.

Current regulations on lotto product restrictions

Currently, only Instant Kiwi tickets are age-restricted, meaning minors can still purchase other Lotto products. This lack of comprehensive restrictions has raised concerns about the normalisation of gambling among young people.

To address these concerns, a bill is being introduced to Parliament of New Zealand to extend age restrictions to all Lotto products. Both Lotto and public health advocates support this change, recognising the need to protect children from the potential harms of gambling.

Andree Froude, the advocacy and public health director at the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, finds it surprising that children can purchase Lotto tickets for their parents. She emphasises that allowing young people to engage in gambling activities, even indirectly, normalises the behaviour and diminishes the perceived risks.

She stated, “It does tend to normalise gambling and make it seem to them that there’s no risk associated with it and that it’s just a normal thing to do, so this is important and sends a signal that these are gambling products and that children should not be able to purchase them.”

Evolution of gambling and online risks

Today, the barrage of advertising campaigns about gambling seems to exceed anything that the youth have ever seen, clouding perceptions with glamour and the illusion of a gamble free of consequences. Interestingly, with technological advancements, the gambling marketplace has shifted into the online dimension, making it easier and more interactive to reach people than ever. To make matters more concerning, new restrictions-locking opportunities have also arisen for the tech-savvy youth who spend the most time online.

A prime example of this is loot boxes in online games. These are essentially gambling mechanisms where players spend real money to win virtual items. The similarities to traditional gambling are striking and concerning.

She added further, “It’s important that we make young people aware that there is a risk associated with gambling, whatever that gambling is. We’re certainly seeing more young people engaging with gambling and again being targeted by advertising. It is certainly of concern.”

Policy implications and enforcement in New Zealand

Research shows that early exposure to gambling significantly increases the risk of developing harmful gambling behaviours later in life. Parents can be crucial allies in keeping minors away from gambling. They must be aware of the risks and teach their children that gambling comes with dangers. Enforcing the newly approved age limits will be very important.

She concluded, “They’re on social media, they’re very tech-savvy, they’re gaming and things like loot boxes that have gambling elements, they’re very similar to gambling, and they have to spend real money for the chance of winning something they might want to use within the game. All these things are exposing them to gambling.”

Protecting youth from gambling addiction is not just about protecting the individual but about protecting society in the broader sense. Early intervention and regulation will thus lead to more positive results for future generations of New Zealand. The existence of strict age restrictions for gambling in other countries has provided valuable lessons for New Zealand. Learning from these examples will help in fashioning effective policies.