5035 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Internal Affairs

5035 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter July to September 2024 on the action area ‘Ensure gambling operators are effectively preventing and minimising harm from gambling, and support the improvement of harm minimisation practices’ under ‘Objective 3: Strengthen leadership and accountability to achieve equity’ within the Ministry of Health’s Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2022/23 to 2024/25?

Hon Brooke van Velden: I am advised by the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) that, in the quarter July to September 2024, it continued its inspections of pubs and clubs licensed to host class 4 gambling, such as gaming machines or pokies. These are risk-based inspections with a particular focus on harm minimisation obligations. Where non-compliance was found, the Department took appropriate compliance action. The Department also continued its casino inspections. Notably, the gambling area of the SkyCity Auckland Casino was closed for five consecutive days in September 2024. The closure was agreed as part of the settlement of regulatory action taken by the Department for breaches of the casino’s licence relating gambling harm. Casinos must comply with a range of host-responsibility obligations, including to monitor for long and continuous periods of gambling by their customers.