Government wants to limit gambling

Covid-19, the new coronavirus, has many effects on our society. One of the consequences is that a new proposal has been put forward by the government to limit gambling stakes. The aim is to reduce problem gambling during a difficult time where more and more people are isolated in their homes. They simply want to protect players and prevent more people from falling into a gambling addiction. According to the proposal, the limit of deposits should be limited and the value of bonuses should also be limited. In addition, a time limit for playing time is to be introduced.

Time-limited action during a difficult time

The proposal is for the new measures to apply from 1 June 2020 until the turn of the year between 2020 and 2021. The time limit is linked to the fact that the new coronavirus covid-19 has made more and more people feel increased anxiety and at the same time spend more and more time in their homes. This means that gambling increases and thus also the so-called Problem Gambling. The measures are put in place to prevent this development during the pandemic. The time limit may in the future be influenced by how the virus spreads.

However, the plan is that the measures to limit gambling stakes can be removed at the next turn of the year. The proposal for the temporary regulation has been submitted by the New Zealand government. The proposal has been on referral until May 7, 2020, where various efforts have had the chance to comment on the issue. The next step, if everything goes as planned, is to take a quick decision on the introduction of the restrictions so that the temporary regulation can take effect from June 1, 2020.

The current proposed measures

It is essentially three points that are proposed as the main measures to limit gambling during the pandemic. The first is that the limit for deposits at online casinos should be limited to a maximum of SEK 5,000 per week per person. The second point is that online casinos should only be allowed to offer bonuses to a maximum value of 10NZD. The last measure is that all players at online casinos should be required to set a time limit for the playing time in order to limit the time spent on online games.

Another measure that the government has proposed to limit the so-called problem gambling as a result of the corona pandemic is to give the Gambling Inspectorate extra assignments. gamblingcommission.govt.nz has been commissioned to report monthly on developments in the gaming market. They have also been tasked with strengthening supervision against operators engaged in illegal gambling. They will increase awareness and knowledge of the site [email protected] and take proactive measures to increase protection for players who need to restrict their gambling.