“There were improvements in casinos, but some more is required here too. The three casino companies in New Zealand have put considerable focus on harm minimization practice since 2014 and we have noted a significant change in culture with a stronger focus on minimizing harmful gambling.
SkyCity in particular did well and is to be congratulated. The four SkyCity casinos made significant improvements, not only to systems and processes but also to culture and staff attitude towards helping those who display signs of harmful gambling,” said Bostock.
Preliminary results from the Ministry of Health’s 2016 Health and Lifestyle survey indicate no increase in the overall prevalence of problem gambling from 2014 to 2016.
“Where we identify poor performance we will work with societies on appropriate action,” Mr Bostock said. “The license for an individual venue will still be open to cancellation.