Sports gambling – a social pastime or an inevitable addiction?

*Names have been changed to maintain anonymity of sources.  

“It’s a good opportunity to get [a]round with your mates and it’s just something to follow,” a source told Canta on sports gambling. Source: Mathew Schwartz / Unsplash.  

From punting on a couple of horses at the races, to online gambling on sports events thousands of kilometres away – sports gambling has always held its’ place in Aotearoa.  

Often used as a tool to bring mates together, united in chasing the feeling of a good win, the presence of sports gambling poses a significant risk – the slippery slope to financial implications.  

The polarising sides of the gambling coin subsequently beg the question: why? 

An anonymous employee of a betting agency said the social aspect of sports gambling bind people together in a way that overwhelms the possible negative financial loss. 

“It’s a good opportunity to get round with your mates and it’s just something to follow,” they said. 

“It’s always good to get a little bit of money down and there’s obviously a reward if you pull through.” 

Kyle*, a second year UC student said how by gambling and having something on the line gets him hooked on whatever he’s watching.  

“I’ve started watching sports I’ve never had an interest in,” Kyle told Canta. 

“I’m starting to cheer for players that I don’t even know because I’ve got a small or big amount of money on it – I get a lot of adrenaline from it.” 

The lucid high and crushing lows the individual bettor can take on provide reason for the voices that heavily criticise not just sports gambling, but the industry itself. 

Kyle told Canta “[there] are times that I really enjoy gambling, but I get into times that I know I don’t need to gamble – but I guess that side just takes over a bit.” 

The anonymous employee said while there’s always scrutiny of betting agencies from the media, agencies in Aotearoa have a strict tightrope to walk on and how that noise is part and parcel with the job. 

“There’s rules and regulations in place that we stick by and we’re consistent with, so that’s how we chase our tail and keep safe.”  

The safety aspect is the driving factor behind said criticism, as gambling can have adverse effects on not only the individual, but their surrounding circle as well. 

To try and limit that harm, the anonymous employee said all agencies must monitor user expenditure as well as follow the Safer Gambling Act.  

Sports gambling at face value can be a vessel for social interaction between friends, however, the big takeaway is to be vigilant about how much and how often one punts is a key to measuring when enough is enough.  

Canta reached out to PGF (Problem Gambling Foundation) for a comment, but they did not respond.  

If you feel like you could be struggling with a gambling addiction, call Safer Gambling Aotearoa’s 24/7 hotline (0800 654 655) or free text 8006.