But Problem Gamblers Group Wary of Foray into Online Gambling
NEW ZEALAND -- If plans push through, lotto players in this nation may just find it more convenient to play their instant gratification game.
New Zealand's Lotteries Commission has released its Statement of Intent for the next two financial years and one of the items outlined in the statement is for lotto to become available online.
Aside from selling lotto scratchies online, the Commission also plans to push sales of lotto tickets at supermarkets.
The Commission has also stated that one other objective is to increase the time that New Zealanders gamble.
But this early, Problem Gambling Foundation is already airing its concerns on the planned new gambling products.
In an interview with TV ONE's Breakfast, Foundation Spokesperson Graham Aitken said that players looking for instant gratification would instead find instant disappointment:
"And you can keep doing it. You get online and start buying these things and start losing your rationality and start losing quite big money."
Aitken furthered that from handling 30-40 problem gamblers five years ago, the foundation is now handling over 200 people a year.
Aitken also stated the uncertainty surrounding online gambling especially once online lotto becomes a reality:
"Whether it's going to burgeon and go out of control, we don't know. We know that it's starting but we don't know how far it's going to go."
A research by the NZ Department of Internal Affairs and Health Sponsorship Council in 2007 and 2008 revealed that 71% of lotte players lived in poor areas and that 13% admitted to spending more money on lotto than they originally planned.
According to NZ Lotteries Chief Executive Todd McLeay, nothing is final yet:
"Any move to introduce more products to our online channel, such as instants, would have to meet our high standards of social responsibility and would be subject to Government approval. At this stage, we are not consulting with the Government regarding any additional products being offered online."
However, Aitken said otherwise:
"The fact that they (the Lotteries Commission) put it out on their statement of intent is more than just a draft."
Source: TVNZ
Posted: July 13, 2011
