The sale of all Lotto products to under-18-year-olds is set to be banned by the Government this year with fines to be issued to retailers caught selling these products to young people.
1News can reveal an amendment to Section 301 of the Gambling Act 2003 — which refers to age restrictions on instant games and similar games — will restrict the purchase of Lotto NZ’s products both in-store and online to those aged 18-years-old and over. Currently, Instant Kiwi is the only Lotto NZ product with this restriction.
The Government hoped to embed this amendment within a proposed omnibus bill planned for introduction to Parliament later this year.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said it was a “really simple” law change that would bring consistency across Lotto’s products and make age restrictions “very clear” to retailers and consumers.
“We don’t think children should be buying alcohol for their parents, buying cigarettes, buying wine — they should also not be buying tickets for gambling for their parents too.”
She said the Government decided on the change late last year and legislation would be introduced in the House of Representatives this year.
“There will be a fine of about $1000 for any retailer who would be caught selling these products to children.”
Lotto NZ was “highly supportive” of the law change, saying it would remove a grey area which it said could be confusing for retailers and customers.
“We believe it will help us in our commitment to minimising gambling harm and will make it clear that Lotto is for adults only, like other forms of gambling,” said head of corporate communications Will Hine.
Advocates also praised the change to legislation, calling it “long overdue”.
“It just doesn’t make sense that somebody aged under 18 can actually go and buy a gambling product, which of course a lotto ticket is, so we’re really pleased that finally this will be in the Gambling Act,” said Problem Gambling Foundation advocacy and public health director Andree Froude.