Although most New Zealanders gamble without experiencing any harm, a small minority who participate do suffer some degree of harm and for them the impacts of this can be significant. The TAB is committed to promoting responsible gambling and has various tools and procedures in place to help minimise the potential harm associated with gambling. The TAB aims to educate customers, and to assist them with making good decisions in relation to their gambling. The TAB wants all of its customers to follow these tips to help stay in control.

For most customers betting on racing and sports or playing gaming machines is a fun, safe and exciting pastime, however we recognise that for a small percentage of people it may become a problem.

The TAB has a range of support measures to promote responsible gambling to customers and ensure betting remains a safe and fun activity.

Here are some of the tools available to help customers manage their gambling:

You are able to set specific daily, weekly or monthly volume limits on your deposits within your account dashboard. Not sure where to start? Contact the team at saferbetting@tab.co.nz and they can assist to put this in place for you.

Decreasing the volume: lower your limits at any time via the Account Controls section of your TAB account dashboard.

Increasing the volume: to ensure it’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision, any increase is subject to a mandatory cool down period that cannot be overridden, not even by our TAB teams.

You can elect to pause access to your TAB account for a specified period of time. When you take a break, you can’t place any bets through your account, and you won’t receive any TAB promotional material during the specified period of time. When that pause period ends, your account will automatically reactivate.

You can lower your limits at any time via the TAB Account Controls section of your account dashboard.

You can stop betting on your TAB account by taking a Time Out from six months to five years, or permanently. Time Outs cannot be undone for any reason after being implemented.  You can request a Time Out or close your account here. Once your Time Out period ends and you decide you’d like to bet again, you’ll need to contact us first at saferbetting@tab.co.nz to discuss some volume controls.

• Mood swings or outbursts brought on by gambling
• Attempting to hide gambling from family or friends, or being dishonest about gambling
• Trying to borrow money for the purpose of gambling more
• Gambling for long periods without taking a break, or prioritising gambling over other commitments
• Gambling most days of the week
• Chasing gambling losses
• Setting a limit, but not being able to stick to it
• Gambling is no longer a source of fun and is causing regret or distress

Free and confidential support and counselling services are available through the Gambling Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling the Gambling Helpline 0800 654 655. You can also text the Gambling Helpline at any time on 8006.

The Gambling Helpline is a national, dedicated helpline service where trained staff can provide guidance, support and information. The Gambling Helpline also has specialist services available including the Maori Gambling Helpline, the Pasifika Gambling Helpline, the Youth Gambling Helpline, and the Debt Gambling Helpline.

As New Zealand’s only legalised sports and racing betting provider, TAB NZ has a responsibility to minimise harm associated with its products. This responsibility extends beyond the requirements set out under the Racing Industry Act 2020 and the Gambling Act 2003. We go beyond the standards set out in legislation in many significant ways.

Although most New Zealanders gamble without experiencing any harm, a proportion do experience some form of harm, and this can impact them in different ways. As set out in the TAB NZ Harm Prevention and Minimisation Policy, we are committed to promoting safer betting and have various options in place to help minimise the potential harm that can arise with betting.

At TAB, we strive to display a sense of social responsibility by taking into account our communities we operate within. We continue to evolve our harm minimisation approach in tandem with any research evidence, population needs, or any development of new tools or technology. As part of this process, we are committed to:

• Working in partnership with health and help service providers to ensure our harm minimisation initiatives achieve the best possible outcomes;
• Trialling and implementing new or emerging technology to make the betting environment safer for customers;
• Reviewing processes, procedures, and commitments to identify areas where our harm minimisation programme can be improved.
• Informing our customers of harm minimisation options available to help them manage their betting experience in a way that suits their circumstances.

We have a range of support options and measures to help ensure your betting remains safe, fun and exciting.

We also have a team of dedicated staff well versed in providing advice and assistance. We regularly make contact with our customers where we’ve identified there may be some element of risk to make sure customers are informed and aware of their activity, as well as providing safer betting options and external support sources.