Lotto players who start displaying signs of “potentially dangerous play” can expect an intervention - including a personal phone call from Lotto HQ, Neil Reid reports.
Lotto bosses say their new technology will identify high-risk players, and staff will contact them personally to discuss gambling harm and offer help.
It’s part of a massive technology overhaul that’s costing Lotto NZ about $70 million and that the company has described as a “once in a generation” upgrade.
It’s replacing a system which in some parts is almost 20 years old.
Lotto chief executive Jason Delamore told the Herald the overhaul will replace terminals in every outlet, produce new-look tickets and help it detect players with dangerous playing habits, using a new digital tool.
Dramatic changes in spending habits or sudden increases in the numbers of tickets purchased each week for Lotto NZ games Powerball, Strike Four, Keno, Instant Kiwi and Strike will be noted, and acted upon.
Customers identified could face “interventions” including emails or phone calls from Lotto HQ.
The emails and phone calls will offer them information about Safer Gambling Aotearoa, which provides help to those worried about their own, or other people’s gambling.
Delamore said Lotto NZ’s harm framework included three aspects: prevention, detection - and intervention.
“We’ve got a global leading tool in the detection area that can detect potentially dangerous play,” he told the Herald.
“It will highlight ... a change in behaviour, and that’s something we can then keep an eye on.
“If someone enters into the high-risk zone, then we can have an intervention where we might send them an email or give them a call and just make sure everything’s okay.”
Delamore said it was Lotto NZ’s job to detect and “refer people to any particular help” over potentially damaging gambling habits.
He told the Herald he is expecting this to happen to a “very small” number of customers.
“Lotto New Zealand is a standout globally for our harm minimisation,” Delamore said. “We’ve always got our eye on harm minimisation.”
Changes to Lotto’s spending limit will also help, he said.
That change, on September 29, will see a “7-day rolling limit” of $150 maximum spend on tickets for all of Lotto NZ’s games.
Previously, online punters could spend a maximum of $150 – including a top spend of $50 on Instant Kiwi tickets - across a week.
In a statement, the office of the Privacy Commissioner told the Herald it was imperative Lotto NZ made it clear to its customers they it may use personal information to contact them “where they believe the user is exhibiting problem gambling traits”.
“Ensuring accurate contact information will be essential to the privacy protections of the proposed tool,” it said.
“There are potential harms of using inaccurate contact information leading to a person being misidentified who may not be experiencing problem gambling.”
Under the heading ‘Responsible Gambling’ on Lotto NZ’s account creation page it explains how it may use personal information to ensure responsible game play.
Lotto is New Zealand’s biggest retail network, with 1140 retail outlets.
The technology upgrade also includes replacing all terminals and training more than 10,000 staff in how to use them.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.