The Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, introducing age restrictions on all lottery purchases.
A section of the Gambling Act previously meant 18+ restrictions did not apply to the purchase of all lottery tickets, allowing children to buy some products like Lotto NZ's twice weekly draw.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said "this is a really simple change that will ensure age restrictions are clear to retailers and consumers, and ensure children are not inadvertently allowed to gamble".
The Bill amends 30 Acts and includes other changes across the Internal Affairs portfolio. It allows the Department to share information with international law enforcement agencies to prevent the spread of objectionable content, such as child sex abuse material, online.
Other measures include allowing passports to be cancelled if data has been compromised, simplifying the RealMe identity verification process, and giving the Department more powers to prevent over-donation by individuals to fertility clinics.
The Bill passed with full support of the House.