As the law stands, casinos and other gambling outlets have to return a portion of the profits to the community. She kicked off by probing the issue which has most concerned the various charities which tackle gambling harm: will more outlets for gambling therefore lead to more gambling harm? "We’re delivering faster access to support and more frontline workers: 83% of Kiwis are now accessing primary mental health support within one week; 82% of Kiwis are now accessing specialist mental health support within three weeks. The frontline mental health workforce has grown by 11% since coming into government. The child and adolescent mental health workforce has grown by 19%."

Source: Otago Daily Times March 14, 2026 04:03 UTC