The Lucky Ones Get Help page gathers the New Zealand gambling support services that can help you or someone close to you. Every service listed below is free, confidential and operated independently of Lucky Ones. If you need to talk to someone right now, Gambling Helpline NZ is free to call on 0800 654 655 around the clock.
Reaching out is the hardest step. Once you have made the call, the conversation is at your pace and there is no obligation to take any specific next step. Counsellors are trained to listen, share information and connect you with local services if and when you are ready. You can also call on behalf of a partner, parent, adult child or friend.
Gambling Helpline NZ
Gambling Helpline NZ provides free and confidential telephone support twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, on 0800 654 655. Trained counsellors can listen, provide information and connect you to face to face counselling services in your area. Family members and friends are welcome to call as well, and you do not need consent from the person you are concerned about to ask for advice. Calls are not recorded by name and there is no follow up unless you ask for one.
Specialist helplines
Gambling Helpline Maori on 0800 654 656, Gambling Helpline Pacific Islands on 0800 654 657 and the Youth Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 659 offer specialist support tailored to specific communities. All are free, confidential and available around the clock. The Debt Helpline on 0508 638 463 supports anyone whose finances have been affected by gambling, with practical advice on budgeting, creditor negotiation and longer term planning.
Face to face counselling
Salvation Army Oasis Centres, the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand and Mapu Maia all offer free face to face counselling across the country. Sessions are typically weekly for an initial period and then taper as progress is made. Your GP can also refer you to community mental health services that include support for gambling issues, often alongside related concerns such as anxiety, low mood or substance use.
Self assessment
If you are not sure whether your gambling has become a problem, the Problem Gambling Severity Index is a short online questionnaire that gives a clear indication and a recommended next step. The questionnaire takes about five minutes, is completely anonymous and does not record an IP address. The result is a band - low, moderate or high risk - with practical suggestions for each.
Supporting someone you care about
If you are worried about a partner, family member or friend, start with a calm, private conversation rather than a confrontation. Avoid ultimatums, focus on what you have observed rather than on assumptions, and offer the helpline number rather than trying to fix the situation yourself. Counsellors can also support you separately while the person you are worried about decides what they want to do next.
Financial steps that often help
Block gambling transactions through your bank where the option is available, separate joint accounts if appropriate, and put a trusted person in charge of cards or online banking access for an agreed period. The Debt Helpline can negotiate with creditors and arrange manageable repayment plans. None of this needs to be permanent - the aim is to build space for the gambling behaviour to settle.
Tools on Lucky Ones
Inside your account you can set deposit, loss and session limits, schedule reality checks, take a time out or self exclude. Visit the responsible gaming page for a full walkthrough of every tool. If you have already decided to step away, the close my account guide explains every option from a short break through to permanent closure.
Always 20+
Lucky Ones is strictly for players aged 20 and over. If you suspect underage gambling on a shared device, install a content filter such as Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol or Family Link and never save your login details in a browser used by a minor. Underage accounts are closed on detection and any winnings are voided.
Practical first steps in the next 24 hours
If you have decided you want to make a change, the most useful first steps are usually the simplest. Set a low deposit limit on your account, install a card level gambling block at your bank, write down the helpline number somewhere visible, and tell one person you trust what you are doing. None of these steps lock you in for ever, but together they create the breathing room a longer term plan needs to work properly.
Online resources worth bookmarking
The Health Promotion Agency runs choicenotchance.org.nz with self help tools, stories from people who have been through it and a directory of local services. The Problem Gambling Foundation NZ publishes practical guides for partners, parents and adult children, while Safer Gambling Aotearoa hosts forums and group sessions. Together with the helplines above, they cover almost every situation a New Zealand household is likely to face.
Confidentiality and what to expect
Every helpline and counselling service listed here operates under strict confidentiality rules. Calls are not shared with Lucky Ones, with your bank or with anyone else without your explicit consent. The first conversation is usually about understanding the situation rather than committing to a plan, and there is no obligation to take any specific next step at any point.
Talking to your GP
Your GP is a confidential first point of contact and can refer you into community mental health services that include support for gambling related concerns. The conversation can be as short as a single appointment to discuss options, and any onward referrals are made with your consent. Standard GP confidentiality applies and gambling specific support sits inside the broader mental health pathway.