Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money or to solve money worries. At BonusOut we think that knowing how gambling can go wrong, and what protections exist, helps you stay in control.

This page covers habits for safer gambling, the signs of gambling harm, the tools available in Aotearoa New Zealand and where to find free support. Online casino operators must take all reasonable steps to make sure that anyone playing on their platform is at least 18 (Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, section 38).

If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you right now, you can call the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or text 8006. The service is free. More support is listed below.

Five habits for safer gambling

No habit removes the risk completely, but these lower it:

  • Only gamble with money you can afford to lose – never money meant for rent, bills or loan repayments.
  • Set a spending limit and a time limit before you start – and keep to both, including on days when you are winning.
  • Do not chase your losses – chasing turns a small loss into a large one.
  • Avoid gambling when you are stressed or upset, or after drinking – decisions made in that state tend to be worse.
  • Remember that gambling is a form of entertainment – not a way to make money.

When gambling starts to cause harm

Gambling harm is the negative effect gambling can have on your health, money, relationships or work, and on the people around you. It can build slowly.

It may be time to talk to someone if you notice any of these, in yourself or in someone close to you:

  • spending more money or time on gambling than you intended,
  • chasing losses to try to win money back,
  • borrowing money, or using money meant for essentials, to gamble,
  • hiding gambling from friends and whānau,
  • feeling anxious, irritable or guilty about gambling.

One sign is reason enough to talk to someone. You do not need to wait until things become serious. Safer Gambling Aotearoa explains the signs of gambling harm and has a “Test your gambling” page. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) says that if you or someone you know needs support with gambling, help is available.

Tools that help you stay in control

Limits and breaks at licensed online casinos

The Minimum Standards for online casino gambling, formally the Online Casino Gambling (Minimum Standards) 2026, came into force on 8 July 2026 and set out what a licensed operator’s gambling platform must offer. DIA says it expects to start issuing online casino licences from early 2027, so these rules will apply as operators are licensed (Minimum Standards, DIA).

  • Limits – time, deposit and spend limit tools must be easy to access at any time after you open an account. Where you set limits for overlapping periods, such as a day and a week, the lowest limit applies.
  • Waiting period – the platform must wait at least 24 hours before it lets you increase or remove a limit, remove a break or time-out, or make one shorter.
  • Breaks, time-outs and pop-up alerts – you must be able to set these easily.
  • No credit – an operator must not offer or provide credit that it knows, or ought to know, is intended for gambling (the Act, section 42).

Set your limits before you start, not after a bad run. See our guide to deposit limits and safe payments.

Self-exclusion from online casinos

Under the Minimum Standards, each gambling platform must keep its own register of customers who have self-excluded and check every account against it before activating the account and at login. You therefore exclude yourself from each platform separately.

A national register for online casino gambling has not been set up yet. The Act requires the Minister to recommend regulations creating one by 1 December 2027 (section 75(3)). Until then, a block on one site does not cover any other. Our article on self-exclusion from online casinos explains what you can do today.

Self-exclusion at venues

At gambling venues you can exclude yourself from one venue or several. According to DIA, the venue manager must issue a self-exclusion promptly if you ask for one and certain conditions are met. Your local gambling support service can tell you whether a multi-venue exclusion (MVE) programme runs in your area (DIA, Minimising gambling harm).

Online casinos without a licence

The limits, breaks and platform-level self-exclusion above are requirements for licensed operators. DIA says that on an unlicensed platform you will not have the same player protections, and that licensed casinos will be required to display a unique registration icon on their platforms and in their advertising (DIA).

Our online casino law section explains who regulates what, and licensed online casinos in New Zealand shows where the licensing process stands and how to check a licence.

Where to get help

Support is free:

  • Gambling Helpline – 0800 654 655 or text 8006, free. Run by Whakarongorau Aotearoa (New Zealand Telehealth Services), with a web chat on gamblinghelpline.co.nz. Specialist lines include the Māori Gambling Helpline, the Pasifika Gambling Helpline, the Debt Gambling Helpline and the Youth Gambling Helpline.
  • Safer Gambling Aotearoa – information on gambling harm and a way to find services near you (safergambling.org.nz).
  • PGF Services – free counselling, advice and support, with 18 clinics nationwide offering face-to-face counselling (pgf.nz).
  • Your doctor or another health professional – you can talk to them about how gambling is affecting you. They are likely to refer you to a gambling harm support service as a first step (Healthify).

For more on the Gambling Helpline and age limits for online gambling, see our gambling harm section. Questions about this page: info@bonusout-nz.com.

18+ Gambling can cause harm and can become hard to control. For free support, call the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655.

Last updated: 9 October 2026