As an example, the 'Golden Treasure' Art Union of 1935 had 200,000 tickets with a top prize of £2000 ranging down to an 11th prize of £20 plus 400 prizes of £2. Prizes were relatively small, and in the early Art Unions the prizes were quantities of alluvial gold. The first national lotteries were established in 1933.

Both individuals and organizations subsequently used them as a way of raising funds. The first 'Art Union' was conducted in New Zealand by the Otago Art Society in December 1877. From then until the introduction of the Totalizator Agency Board (TAB) in 1961, betting on racing was only available on-course.

Horse racing īookmaking was declared illegal in New Zealand in 1920. Expenditure on gambling (losses experienced by players) was $NZ 2.034 billion in 2008 ($NZ 480 per capita), a tenfold increase over 1985 figures. The largest proportion of the gambling industry is operated by state-owned institutions. All public gambling is expected to return a portion of profits to the community. Gambling in New Zealand is controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs.

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