Leading international and local experts will converge on Auckland next week for the 10th International Gambling Conference, with a strong focus on tackling the rapidly evolving challenges posed by online gambling and its impact on communities.
The three-day conference, titled Reimagining Gambling Harm: Innovation, Equity and Global Connections, will be held at Auckland University of Technology’s Sir Paul Reeves Building from 17–19 June. Organisers say the event comes at a pivotal time as governments, health providers and researchers grapple with the growing public health consequences of digital gambling platforms.
Hosted by the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre at AUT alongside the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, Purapura Whetu Trust, Mapu Maia Pasifika Service and Asian Family Services, the conference will bring together delegates from New Zealand and overseas to explore strategies for preventing and minimising gambling harm.
A major focus will be the increasing exposure of young people to gambling-style activities through online environments. Conference organisers say rangatahi are encountering gambling-related products and marketing at unprecedented levels through video games, loot boxes, simulated gambling platforms and targeted digital advertising, often long before they reach the legal gambling age.
The conference will open with a ministerial address from Mental Health Minister and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey, reflecting the growing recognition of gambling harm as a significant health and wellbeing issue.
Among the keynote speakers is Dr Darrel Manitowabi, an associate professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University and holder of the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Traditional Medicine. His presentation will examine gaming through an Indigenous lens, drawing on First Nations histories and contemporary experiences with casino development.
Also headlining the programme is Dr Hilarie Cash, a leading American expert on internet and gaming addiction. As Chief Clinical Officer and co-founder of ReSTART, a pioneering residential treatment programme for internet and video game addiction, Dr Cash will explore the convergence of gambling and gaming technologies, as well as the sophisticated methods used by technology companies to capture and retain online audiences.
Ahead of the conference, an International Think Tank on Gambling Research, Policy and Practice will be held at AUT’s City Campus on 15 and 16 June. The gathering will bring together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to advance collaborative projects and identify new approaches to gambling regulation, prevention and treatment.
The International Gambling Conference is one of the leading global forums dedicated to addressing gambling harm and has become a significant platform for sharing research, policy developments and community-led solutions.
Organisers say the event will provide an opportunity to strengthen international connections while exploring innovative and culturally responsive approaches to reducing gambling-related harm in Aotearoa and around the world.
