Earlier this year, former Taranaki player Willie Ripia had resigned from the rugby league, after being accused of stealing from his teammates in order to fund his gambling addiction. Recently, he announced that he is dedicated to getting treatment for his problem and hopes to right his wrongs.
While Ripia did not confirm the claims that he had been stealing from other Taranaki players, he was dealing with “serious issues” and made mention of the fact that gambling had affected his life in a very negative way. Released this week, a statement confirmed that Ripia would be taking some time to himself to deal with his issues.
While problem gambling has been debated for quite some time in New Zealand, this case has shed a great deal of light on the situation. As a famous athlete struggles with gambling addiction, the public eye is focused intently on the issue.
Now, politicians are even more motivated to deal with the issue of rising problem gambling rates. In Australia, pokie reform is under review and New Zealand politicians are also working on ways to reduce harm done by gambling in throughout the country.
