This strategy sets out New Zealand’s approach to, and budget for, funding and coordinating services to prevent and minimise gambling harm. The strategy was developed following a comprehensive consultation process, which included engagement with people with lived experience of gambling harm, gambling harm service providers, the gambling industry and other stakeholders with an interest in gambling harm.

The strategy strengthens alignment with the government’s mental health priorities by providing additional funding to improve access to services and treatment, strengthen the workforce, focus on prevention and early intervention, and enable more effective service support. This includes funding an impact evaluation of the strategy over time to identify what has been most effective and where investment should be directed to address gambling harm in the future. This strategy also aims to improve monitoring and data collection, to gain further insights into gambling harm and services.

The strategy is accompanied by appendices.