Hāpai Te Hauora launches HOOKED campaign to expose gambling industry tactics

Hāpai Te Hauora has launched ‘HOOKED’, an online campaign for Gambling Harm Awareness Week designed to shift the focus from individual failure to the industry tactics used to encourage continuous play. The campaign aims to expose the psychological and design strategies employed by gambling operators, such as online targeting, casino environments, and the normalization of betting through social media, group culture, and sports.

Chief Operating Officer Jason Alexander stated that the goal is to show the ‘game behind the game’ to help families understand the influences that draw them in. This initiative comes as New Zealand prepares for a regulated online casino market starting in 2027. The campaign features creators Joe Daymond, Montel Tivoli, and Tahu Hollis to facilitate discussions regarding how gambling products are constructed to capture attention and the wider impacts of gambling harm on mental wellbeing and household finances.