Responsible Gambling

Gambling should only ever be a form of entertainment — something you enjoy with money you can genuinely afford to lose. It should never be treated as a way to earn income, recover from financial difficulty, or escape personal problems. This page provides information, practical tools, and New Zealand support contacts to help you keep gambling in its proper place.

Principles of Responsible Gambling

Staying in control starts with a few clear commitments to yourself:

Treat gambling as entertainment, not income — the moment it feels like a necessity rather than a choice, something has shifted.
Decide your budget before you start — set a dollar amount you're comfortable losing and stick to it, regardless of how the session unfolds.
Put a time limit on your sessions — extended play erodes focus and increases the likelihood of impulsive decisions.
Walk away from losses — chasing lost money is the single most destructive pattern in gambling behaviour.
Don't gamble under the influence — alcohol and other substances impair judgement and lead to decisions you wouldn't make with a clear head.
Maintain balance in your life — gambling should never crowd out work, relationships, hobbies, or everyday responsibilities.

Warning Signs of Problem Gambling

Recognising a problem early makes a real difference. Take a moment to ask yourself these questions honestly:

Are you regularly spending more time or money on gambling than you originally intended?
Do you feel anxious, restless, or irritable when you're not gambling or when you try to cut back?
Have you hidden the extent of your gambling from whānau, friends, or colleagues?
Have you made repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop gambling?
Has gambling caused financial hardship, strained relationships, or affected your work?
Do you find yourself gambling to cope with stress, sadness, or other difficult emotions?
Have you borrowed money, sold belongings, or gone into debt to fund gambling?

If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, we encourage you to seek support. Reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Self-Exclusion and Limit-Setting Tools

Reputable online gambling platforms offer a range of built-in tools to help you manage your play responsibly:

Deposit limits — set daily, weekly, or monthly caps on how much you can deposit into your account.
Loss limits — define the maximum amount you're prepared to lose within a given period.
Session time limits — receive alerts or have your session automatically ended when your set time is reached.
Cooling-off periods — temporarily suspend access to your account for a period of your choosing.
Self-exclusion — block yourself from accessing an operator's platform for an extended period. Many operators also support multi-operator exclusion, allowing you to exclude yourself across several platforms at once.
Reality checks — periodic notifications that show your elapsed playing time and current session balance.

We strongly recommend activating at least deposit and time limits when you create an account with any gambling operator.

Youth Protection

New Zealand gambling law sets clear age restrictions. Under the Gambling Act 2003:

You must be 20 years or older to enter a casino or participate in casino gambling.
You must be 18 years or older to participate in other forms of gambling, including online gambling, TAB betting, and lottery products.

Licensed operators are required to verify the age and identity of their customers. If you are a parent or caregiver, consider using parental control software to restrict access to gambling websites on shared devices. Options include built-in controls on iOS and Android, as well as third-party tools like Net Nanny and Microsoft Family Safety.

New Zealand Support Services

Free, confidential, and professional support is available for anyone in New Zealand affected by problem gambling — whether you are struggling yourself or concerned about someone you care about:

Gambling Helpline NZ — 0800 654 655 — free, confidential support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also access online resources and chat at gamblinghelpline.co.nz.
The Salvation Army Oasis — provides specialist problem gambling support services across New Zealand, including face-to-face counselling and community programmes.
Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) — the government body responsible for regulating gambling in New Zealand under the Gambling Act 2003. Information available at dia.govt.nz.
Lifeline NZ — 0800 543 354 — free, 24/7 telephone counselling service offering emotional support for anyone in distress.
Need to Talk? — 1737 — free call or text, available 24/7. A trained counsellor will listen and help with mental health and addiction concerns, including gambling.

Our Commitment

Chicken Road New Zealand is actively committed to promoting safe and responsible gambling:

Clear warnings about the risks of gambling are present on every page of this portal.
We only recommend operators that hold recognised licences and maintain active player protection measures.
We categorically reject content that encourages compulsive gambling, makes unrealistic profit promises, or downplays the financial risks involved.
The "18+ | Gamble responsibly" notice is permanently displayed in the footer of every page.
Direct links to support services are provided throughout the portal, particularly in sections that contain commercial content.

Remember: Gambling is not a way to make money. If it stops being enjoyable, stop playing. If you find you can't stop on your own, reach out for help — support is free, confidential, and available right now. You don't have to deal with it alone.