MS: Busting the Myths
August 21, 2025 | Advocacy, News
Multiple Sclerosis NZ has made a submission on the proposed new Online Casino Gambling Bill which puts the sustainability of many MS community services and organisations at risk.
We have grave concerns that granting 15 licenses to online gambling operators, including overseas companies, will simply take profits offshore.
For over 50 years, profits from Class 4 grant funders have been a critical source of income sustaining community services in health, disability, sport and the arts.
We consider that tax on profits should consider the scale of the impacts of online gambling so that there are sufficient funds to not only fund gambling harm but be invested into broader community public good services provided by charities.
MS organisations meet the varying needs of our community by delivering advocacy, information, awareness, education, social connection and preventative health services. As community organisations, we already work with minimal budgets. Maintaining viable and sustainable services in the not-for-profit sector is already extremely difficult. This is especially the case in the current fiscally constrained funding environment through government agencies. We have more charities vying for reduced government and community funding as we desperately try to meet the increasing needs of our vulnerable populations. We also provide services not available through the private or government sectors as we are able to reach deeper into our communities.
In our submission we have recommended that the principle of sharing revenue with the community should continue, as it has done for the last 50 years.
We have made a submission and requested to appear before the Governance and Administration Select Committee to speak to our submission, which you can read below. Further information will be published when available.
Download a PDF copy of our submission here: Submission on the Online Casino Gambling Bill
We welcome your thoughts and feedback, please email us: info@msnz.org.nz