Our Commitment to Safer Play
At Slotgard Casino, we take responsible gambling seriously. Online gaming should be an enjoyable form of entertainment, and the vast majority of our players keep it exactly that. But we also know that for some people, gambling can become a problem, and when that happens, it matters that the right tools and information are easy to find.
This page outlines the practical safeguards we offer, the warning signs worth knowing, and the support services available to New Zealand players who need them. We operate under licence number NZ/DIA/2023/GL-774512, and our responsible gambling framework reflects the obligations set out under the New Zealand Gambling Act 2003.
Who This Page Is For
This page is relevant to any player who wants to stay in control of their gambling, as well as anyone who is concerned about their own habits or those of someone close to them. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from the tools and information here. Many of the features outlined below are simply good practice for anyone who gambles regularly.
Understanding Problem Gambling
Problem gambling is not about how much money someone spends or how often they play. It is about whether gambling is causing harm, whether financial, emotional, or social. Someone who bets modest amounts but is constantly preoccupied with it may be experiencing harm. Someone who spends more but maintains full control may not be.
Warning Signs to Watch For
The following are common indicators that gambling may be moving beyond healthy limits:
- Spending more time or money gambling than you originally intended
- Chasing losses by continuing to play in an attempt to recover money you have lost
- Gambling with money that was set aside for bills, food, rent, or other necessities
- Feeling irritable, anxious, or low when you try to cut back or stop
- Lying to family members or friends about how often you gamble or how much you spend
- Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling
- Neglecting work, study, or family responsibilities because of time spent gambling
- Gambling as a way to cope with stress, loneliness, or difficult emotions
- Thinking about gambling when you are supposed to be focused on something else
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop, despite wanting to
If several of these sound familiar, that is worth taking seriously. The good news is that help is available, and it works.
Self-Assessment: A Starting Point
Before seeking outside help, some players find it useful to assess their own habits honestly. The following questions are based on widely used problem gambling screening tools. Answer them as accurately as you can.
- Have you ever gambled with more money than you could afford to lose?
- Has gambling ever caused arguments or tension in your relationships?
- Have you ever missed work, school, or an important event because of gambling?
- Have you ever felt the need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same level of excitement?
- Have you ever felt depressed, hopeless, or considered harming yourself as a result of gambling?
- Have you ever borrowed money or sold something to pay for gambling?
- Have you ever felt the urge to return to gambling as soon as possible after losing?
- Have you ever kept the extent of your gambling hidden from people close to you?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, we encourage you to use the account tools described below or to reach out to one of the support services listed on this page.
Responsible Gambling Tools at Slotgard Casino
We provide a range of account-level tools that put control directly in your hands. These features are available through your account settings and can be adjusted or activated at any time. In line with our obligations under the Gambling Act 2003, we apply these tools promptly once requested.
Deposit Limits
You can set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits to cap how much money enters your account over a given period. Once a limit is set, it takes effect immediately. Increases to a deposit limit require a cooling-off period before they come into force, giving you time to reconsider. Decreases take effect straight away.
This is one of the simplest and most effective tools available. Setting a deposit limit that matches your genuine entertainment budget, rather than your maximum financial capacity, helps ensure that gambling never drifts into territory that causes financial stress.
Loss Limits
Loss limits cap how much you can lose in a defined period. These operate separately from deposit limits and are useful for players who fund their account in advance or use payment methods where the deposit happens in a single transaction. If you reach your loss limit for the day, week, or month, you will be prevented from placing further bets until the period resets.
Session Time Limits and Reality Checks
Time limits set a maximum duration for each individual session. When your session limit is reached, you will be logged out automatically. Reality check notifications can be enabled independently, sending you a reminder at intervals you choose, for example every 30 or 60 minutes, displaying how long you have been playing and how your balance has moved. These prompts are simple but effective at breaking the absorbed state that extended play can create.
Cooling-Off Periods
A cooling-off period temporarily suspends your ability to place bets for a set time. You choose the duration, from 24 hours up to several weeks. During a cooling-off period, you cannot wager or access the gaming sections of the site, but you can still log in to withdraw any remaining balance. This option is suited to players who want a short break rather than a permanent exclusion.
Self-Exclusion
Self-exclusion is a stronger step and is appropriate when other tools have not been sufficient or when you know you need to stop gambling entirely for an extended period.
When you self-exclude at Slotgard Casino, your account is suspended for the duration you request. The minimum period is 6 months. You will not be able to log in, place bets, or claim bonuses during this time. Any active bonus balances are forfeited. Existing balances in your account remain available to withdraw.
During your exclusion period, we will remove you from our marketing lists so that you do not receive promotional emails or bonus offers. We take this obligation seriously. If you attempt to re-register while excluded, we are required to block the new account.
To apply for self-exclusion, contact our support team directly via live chat or email at support@slotgard-casino-nz.com. Requests are processed promptly.
Account Closure
If you wish to close your account permanently, you can request this through the support team at any time. Account closure is different from self-exclusion: it is a permanent action rather than a time-limited one. If you are closing your account because of gambling concerns, please let our support team know so that any balance can be returned to you and the closure is flagged appropriately in our records.
Protecting Younger People
Slotgard Casino is strictly for players aged 18 and over. We enforce this through identity verification during the KYC process, and any account where the holder is found to be under 18 will be closed immediately with any deposits returned.
If you share a device with younger people, including teenagers, we strongly recommend using parental control software to prevent access to gambling websites. Several free and low-cost tools are available for this purpose in New Zealand, including those built into iOS, Android, and most broadband routers. Some options worth considering:
- Net Nanny (netnanny.com) – offers site filtering across multiple device types
- Norton Family (family.norton.com) – includes web filtering and screen time controls
- Your broadband router settings – most modern routers include basic content filtering that can be configured without additional software
We also recommend not saving your login details in a shared browser, and logging out fully after each session rather than relying on a session timeout.
Support Services in New Zealand
If you are concerned about your own gambling, or worried about someone close to you, the following services are available to New Zealand residents at no cost.
Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand
The Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) is the primary specialist service for gambling harm in New Zealand. They offer free counselling, support groups, and financial guidance for people affected by gambling problems, including friends and family members. Their counsellors are trained specifically in gambling harm and operate across the country, including telephone and online appointments for those outside main centres.
Website: pgf.nz
Gambling Helpline
New Zealand’s free gambling helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call or text to speak with a trained counsellor at any time. The helpline is confidential and is available to both people experiencing gambling problems and those affected by someone else’s gambling.
Phone and text: 0800 654 655
GamblingTherapy
GamblingTherapy is an international online support service offering free practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by problem gambling. Services include online group therapy, one-to-one chat sessions with trained advisers, forums, and self-help tools. The platform is particularly well suited to players who would prefer anonymous online support before speaking to someone in person.
Website: gamblingtherapy.org
BeGambleAware
BeGambleAware provides information and guidance on safer gambling, including self-assessment tools and details of treatment services. Their resources are designed for players who are in the early stages of recognising a problem, as well as those who want information to share with someone they are worried about.
Website: begambleaware.org
Lifeline Aotearoa
If gambling-related stress or harm is affecting your mental health, Lifeline Aotearoa offers free crisis support and counselling. They are not gambling-specific, but they are equipped to support people experiencing distress from financial hardship or the emotional consequences of problem gambling.
Phone: 0800 543 354
Website: lifeline.org.nz
Tips for Keeping Gambling in Check
For players who are not currently experiencing problems but want to maintain healthy habits, the following practices are worth building into your routine:
- Decide on a budget before you start playing, and treat it as an entertainment expense rather than an investment
- Set a deposit limit that reflects your realistic weekly or monthly entertainment budget
- Take regular breaks during sessions, at least a few minutes every hour
- Avoid gambling when you are feeling stressed, anxious, or emotionally low
- Do not chase losses by increasing your bets or extending a session beyond your planned time or budget
- Balance gambling with other leisure activities so that it remains one part of a varied routine
- Never gamble with money you need for household expenses, rent, food, or debt repayment
- Keep track of your wins and losses honestly over time rather than remembering only the winning sessions
How Gambling Works: What Every Player Should Know
Understanding the mechanics of casino games helps players approach them with realistic expectations. Every game at Slotgard Casino operates on a Random Number Generator (RNG), certified by independent auditors, which means outcomes cannot be predicted or influenced. The house edge is built into every game, which means that over a large enough number of rounds, the casino will always return a percentage less than 100% of total bets placed to players.
Return to Player (RTP) figures express this as a percentage. A game with an RTP of 96% returns NZ$96 on average for every NZ$100 wagered over time. This is a statistical average across millions of rounds, not a guarantee for any individual session. Short sessions can produce results far above or far below this average, which is why gambling should never be approached as a reliable source of income.
Volatility is a separate concept. High-volatility games produce infrequent but larger wins. Low-volatility games pay more often but in smaller amounts. Neither type is “better” in terms of long-term return, but they feel different to play and suit different preferences and bankroll sizes.
Bonus rounds, free spins, and multiplier features are entertaining additions to slot games, but they do not change the underlying RTP. The excitement they create is part of their design, and that design can make it easy to play longer than intended. Using session limits and reality check features helps manage this effect.
Contacting Our Responsible Gambling Team
If you want to set up any of the account controls described on this page, or if you have concerns about your gambling that you would like to discuss with someone from our team, our support staff are available around the clock.
- Live chat: available directly from the Slotgard Casino website and app, 24/7
- Email: support@slotgard-casino-nz.com
- Phone: +64 9 887 2644
- Post: Level 1, 1192 Amohau Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Requests relating to self-exclusion, deposit limits, and account closure are treated as a priority. If you contact us with a responsible gambling concern, you will not be transferred between departments or asked to wait for a callback. We deal with these matters directly.