New Zealand advertising agency Hemisphere has won a three-year contract to run Health New Zealand’s Safer Gambling Aotearoa platform, taking over the government’s minimizing gambling harm account following a competitive tender.
The agency will handle strategy, creative, media, and research for the national public health initiative, which it plans to deliver as a single integrated program aimed at communities where gambling-related harm is most prevalent. The work centers on raising awareness, encouraging behavior change, and improving access to support services, according to Campaign Brief NZ, which first reported the appointment.
Central to Hemisphere’s proposal is a partnership with Big River Creative, a Māori-owned agency led by Te Awanui Reeder. The two companies said their approach would guide campaigns targeting Māori, Pacific, Asian, and rangatahi (youth) communities. Hemisphere managing director Tim Antric described the assignment as social marketing and said the agency had worked in the gambling harm field for an extended period.
Hemisphere said its earlier harm-reduction work for Te Hiringa Hauora increased use of self-help tools by 88 percent and contributed to an estimated NZD13 million ($7.9 million) reduction in social harm costs.
The appointment comes as New Zealand prepares to open its first regulated online casino market. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 took effect on May 1st, and the Department of Internal Affairs is expected to begin a three-stage licensing process in July, capping the market at 15 licensed operators. Applications are due by December 1st, after which unlicensed operators must cease offering services to New Zealand customers or face penalties of up to NZD5 million ($3 million).
Data from the New Zealand Gambling Survey 2023/24 has shown that offshore online gambling participation is concentrated among younger men and certain ethnic groups, particularly in areas of social deprivation—the same communities the harm-reduction program is designed to reach.
