New campaign launches for Gambling Harm Awareness Week: Exposing the Tactics of the Gambling Industry
Hapai Te Hauora media release: 1st September 2025
Hāpai Te Hauora | Māori Public Health is marking Gambling Harm Awareness Week (GHAW) with the launch of a bold new national campaign that shines a light on the tactics used by the gambling industry - and the impact these have on whānau across Aotearoa.
Created by creative agency Mahi Tahi in collaboration with Te Rangihaeata Oranga Trust, Poutiri Charitable Trust, and Hāpai Te Hauora, the campaign will run for six weeks across digital and social media platforms.
At the heart are two powerful storylines.
Their Game is Rigged, Don’t Get Played
This storyline tackles the way sports betting has been normalised in Aotearoa. From podcasts and TikToks to live odds, multis and group chats, gambling is increasingly packaged as casual, fun and harmless. But behind the hype is a system designed to keep people hooked - using small wins, near misses and constant notifications to lock in attention. The Boys Crew flips the script by showing that what looks like culture and banter is actually the gambling industry’s design.
Their House Always Wins. Never Yours
This storyline uses the metaphor of building a whare. On the surface, gambling apps make it feel like you’re in control - making smart moves, building something for yourself or your whānau. But the foundations are flawed from the start, and the "house" is designed to collapse. The campaign follows a builder who notices the cracks and chooses to smash his way out, reminding us that the gambling industry sells the illusion of control, when in reality the odds are stacked to keep you trapped inside their house.
"These campaigns remind us that gambling harm isn’t about weakness or bad choices. It’s about systems built by design for the industry to win and for whānau to lose. By naming those tactics, we can help to change the narrative that whānau are ‘problem gamblers’ to the gambling industry being the problem from the start," says Jason Alexander - Chief Operating Officer at Hāpai Te Hauora.
Alongside the campaign, Hāpai will also be officially introducing Pātea: a free, Māori-led digital platform co-designed with whānau to support those navigating gambling harm.
"Gambling Harm Awareness Week is about more than raising awareness. It’s about standing alongside whānau, using creativity to spark kōrero, and reminding our people that they are not the problem - the design is. With tools like Pātea and campaigns led by whānau voices, we are shifting the narrative," says Jessikha Makoare - General Manager at Hāpai Te Hauora.
Find out more about the new gambling harm campaign from Hāpai Te Hauora.