Huaki “To bring to Light”
Edition 21
Friday, July 25, 2025
Ngāti Hine Health Trust partners with influencer to challenge gambling harm
Ngāti Hine social media influencer, Louis Davis, was a keynote speaker on problem gambling at Whangārei Boys’ High School.
Ngāti Hine Health Trust has taken a fresh and community-led approach to addressing gambling harm by partnering with Ngāti Hine social media creator, Louis Davis. Known online as @louisdavis____, Davis is using his significant digital influence to open up conversations about the normalisation of gambling online.
T
he Trust’s innovative strategy, using a well-known influencer as the central messenger, comes at a time when gambling promotions are increasingly targeting digital platforms. Davis, who has more than three million followers across social media, recently revealed he turned down an offer of over $500,000 to promote offshore gambling websites.
“We are living in an age now where you can gamble in your car, on the toilet, or at work,” Davis said in a recent TVNZ Breakfast interview. “If they’re offering me over $500,000 to ask you to gamble, imagine how much they’re stealing from you.”
Instead of taking the deal, Davis chose to collaborate with Ngāti Hine Health Trust to raise awareness of the impact gambling has on Northland communities. In 2024 alone, nearly $40.4 million was lost to pokies in the region. Davis says, this is money that could otherwise be supporting housing, tamariki, and local development.
This digital momentum was backed by realworld activations including financial literacy wānanga that built whānau confidence and supported open dialogue about money and gambling harm, and hui at Whangārei Boys’ High School where rangatahi explored the tactics behind gambling promotion through Louis’ lived experience as an influencer.
Davis’s connection to Northland and his decision to speak out about the industry’s tactics adds weight to the campaign’s message. “There’s a reason they give money to people that look like me. They’re going after my community,” he said.
By meeting whānau where they are, online and in person, the Trust aims to challenge harmful narratives and create safe pathways for ongoing kōrero about gambling harm.
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