Seeing a country’s gambling industry proliferate despite the initial restrictions was a miracle in the 1980s. Not many countries succeeded in bringing back the practice into action after a period of dormancy. New Zealand is not among those countries; the government made a few progressive moves in the early ’90s to foster a healthy hobby of gambling. Decades have passed since then, and the country is now a zone where online gambling thrives. However, the government has plans to regulate the websites operating in New Zealand solely to boost the revenue-generation of the industry.
The people are not in the picture when thinking of such reforms. Unless the government was willing to focus on the benefits for the demographic, the avid gamblers weren’t going back to their games.
But the scene changed over time, bringing more people to the front after the sabbatical. Many stories have been reported where gamblers lost and won significant amounts of money from the games.
These sessions not only brought in money but also helped the players forget reality and escape into a fun space. What does this all lead to? Problem gambling is the unforeseen result many gamblers yield with their games.
The Start of a New Habit
Every gambler must know when to enter and exit a game so that they don’t lose money over the long run. An anecdote of a gambler in New Zealand states that she was going through a difficult phase in life after the sudden death of her dear one. The situation was aggravated by the debt of $40,000. Sleepless nights and teary eyes were her companions for several weeks. But one day did change her course of life; she came across a Mega Moolah game on Facebook.
The casino was also offering free spins to entice the potential gamblers. It all further led to massive deposits and winnings. The first few games paid out not less than a few thousand dollars, but it was the first blow of an impending personal catastrophe. Such stints make people aim for more, and she did the same to earn more from the games. Within a few weeks, she had become obsessive and was entering a dark space. However, in a week or so, she managed to stop the games and banned herself from them.
Such numbers indicate the prevalent hobby of gambling in many parts of the country. Money has been indeed pouring into the industry through these websites. Around $381 million was raked in by the offshore operators in New Zealand. It was only recently that the government held a discussion regarding the 2003 Gambling Act, which had been passed in favor of the industry and not the gamblers. Problem gambling had been ruled out completely from the initial document, conveniently glossing over the various risks involved. Finding a device to offset the money and the addiction is the mission the country is on, ensuring safer forms of entertainment.