(UPBEAT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC) Captions by Sam Baker and Kate McCullough. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2025 - Fakaalofa lahi atu, kia orana tatou katoatoa and welcome to Tagata Pasifika. On the show today ` the hidden dangers of online gambling. We talanoa on how it might be impacting our Pasifika community. In our Pacific News Wrap this week, Niue takes precautions against an influenza A outbreak. - We've had to open up the COVID ward, in which we admitted five patients there, which have recovered, fortunately. - And he's experienced the extreme highs and the lows. Now former rugby league star Manu Vatuvei wants to put that all behind him. - I apologise for everything that I've done. It wasn't something that I wanted to do to hurt anyone. - Talofa lava. To our talanoa first, and a Pacific Islands community organisation is calling for stronger measures to prevent gambling harm in our communities. This comes as government announced that it plans to tighten online gambling regulations over the next three months. Mapu Maia is a support service helping Pasifika people affected by gambling, mental health issues and addiction. And joining me now to discuss their concerns is CEO Tuala Pesio Ah-Honi. Thank you very much for joining us on the show, Tuala. - Taeao manuia, Marama. - First of all, when we talk about online gambling, what types of sites are we talking about? - Well, our people are gambling on slot machines offshore. They're gambling on TAB ` sports betting online ` as well as Lotto and casinos online. So those are generally the sites that they are playing on. - You know what blew me away was how many of our young people are gambling online. Almost 50% of those aged between 16 and 22 from our community are doing this. - Absolutely. It's really concerning, particularly as our young people are very technology savvy and their lives are online. So it becomes a normal activity, and we are seeing more and more of our young people, particularly our young men, participating in dangerous forms of gambling, like sports betting ` uh, betting on NRL, on the All Blacks, on Warriors. And it's quite a social game to start with ` social gambling. But more and more, we are seeing people coming through to our services asking for help. - How does it compare to, say, traditional gambling? - Well, traditional gambling is our casino games or our casino venues, our pokie bars, our Lotto... those that we can see, so we see them in our community. And they are still very popular with our people. But the online space is something that's, uh... it's highly hidden. You're able to play online in the privacy of your own home. And so that, I believe, is more dangerous and more harmful. As people are coming through, it's emerging to be quite a... a great concern for us. - I'm thinking about how normalised it is and even` especially during COVID, am I right? - Yes. - A lot of` I'm thinking about even my cousins ` I'd go over, and it's` you know, a lot of people are online, family groups doing, uh, bingo and housie groups and stuff like that. - So, you know, COVID saw us being locked down. And so a lot of the venues and the gambling places that people normally go to were shut. So we've seen since COVID and during COVID, a large part of our gambling is happening online, on chats. Uh, you know, we've got family groups and community groups gambling online, and it's continued to escalate since then. So we saw it visibly, uh, during COVID, but it's still very much still a hidden... a hidden, normalised gambling behaviour. - I think when we see well-known sports stars or former sports stars now promoting gambling, when we see them on TV before a game perhaps, or the online influencers ` very famous, well-known, we look up to them. And in that space, it's` as you say, it looks like it's not harmful. - Mm. - But it really is. - You know, um, our young people are flooded with inducements and advertisements and marketing. And we're really concerned when celebrities, especially our sports celebrities and our influencers, which our people look up to and receive information from is peddling or promoting dangerous forms of gambling or dangerous forms of behaviour. - So, how bad is it? How much is it impacting people ` losing houses, cars? - So we see devastation every day. So we're seeing people losing possessions, of course, cos it's financial; um, you know, homes that they've spent 40 years in. - Wow. - We see loss of relationships, marriage break-ups. We also see` You know, because it doesn't just affect the gambler. It affects the family and the community. And so it's quite a` it has quite a wide effect. You know, on the severe end of gambling addiction, we're seeing suicides. We're seeing severe mental health, and that is a huge concern for us. And we advocate strongly that the government considers stronger measurements and stronger regulations to minimise the harm. - When you talk about all of those impacts that are happening in our homes and especially for our community... - Mm. - ...and now we see the government auctioning off 15 online sites to allow all these sites to be legalised in people's homes, how concerned are you that that is happening? - Um, I'm really concerned cos I think... you know, we believe that opening up a market can lead to exacerbating the harm that's happening at the moment. Without really strict regulations, monitoring and compliance by the industry and by the government, we will see harm continue. And so opening up 15 licences is 15 too many, in my opinion. So we need to have this balance of, um, giving people the choice to gamble if they wish, but also protecting our people, our communities from the harm that we see every day from gambling. - Tuala, we really appreciate everything that you're doing in our communities and also coming on our show today. Fa'afetai lava. - Fa'afetai lava. - Well, stay with us ` when we come back, we have our Pacific News Wrap, including tourism industry concerns over Samoa's ongoing electricity crisis. - When a tourist comes to Samoa, it's not just the accommodation but also the activities that they do, like maybe going to a restaurant and any activity that needs power. It really affects, um, you know, the industry as a whole. (UPBEAT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC) - Malo ni. Welcome back to Tagata Pasifika. Time now for our Pacific News Wrap brought to us by our friends at Pasifika TV ` PCBL. This week, Niue implements COVID measures to fight an influenza A outbreak, while in Fiji, Donald Trump's global trade war has local officials calling for a united Pacific response to the unfair tariffs. John Utanga has more. - Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad, has described the tariffs as unfair and is urging a united regional response. Praneeta Prakash has more. - Professor Biman Prasad supports the call for Pacific leaders to engage with the US government to address tariffs, advocate for fairness and discuss needed adjustments. - So, given this urgency, there is a need for a strong, Pacific-wide response, and I join many others in calling on Pacific leaders to meet urgently to map a firm regional response to the unfair tariffs imposed on our region. - Professor Prasad stressed the importance of a regional approach. - The impacts of upheavals arising from the global markets on our regional markets, though uncertain at this stage, are going to be significant. And there is no doubt about this. - Because there are some very nervous... people in Fiji ` in particular, our exporters. We're starting to get a lot of emails from concerned exporters, and we will certainly do all that we can to address the situation. - Professor Prasad also cautioned that arbitrary decisions made in distant capitals could negatively affect the financial future of Pacific people. He warned that such decisions could stall the region's economic progress and undermine efforts to build a sustainable and resilient Pacific. - Last week, Niue announced that 30 cases of influenza A had been reported and health officials were taking no chances. Here's Moana Makapelu Lee. - Chief Medical Officer Dr Salesi Akau'ola is urging residents to treat the outbreak like COVID-19, and for residents to avoid public gatherings, and to wear a mask. - We've had to open up the COVID ward, in which we admitted five patients there, which have recovered, fortunately, um, but we're keeping it on standby for incoming cases. - Influenza A is a strain of the influenza virus. Symptoms include fever, headaches, body and muscle aches, coughing, runny nose, vomiting and diarrhoea. Young children and elderly were most at risk of the virus. Dr Salesi says the virus is believed to have arrived two weeks ago. Since then, a number of residents have already required hospitalisation, including one family household that was placed in quarantine for monitoring at the hospital's ward last week. - To Samoa now, where the ongoing electricity crisis is having a significant impact on the tourism industry. Jack Seumanutafa reports. - We do know that a lot of our superior standards ` hotels and even the budgets ` most of them don't have generators. And we all know it's not a cheap purchase. And we do hear that some of the financial institutions ` there are banks now that they have what they call a generator loan. So we're finding more about that, how you can apply so that we can actually assist our members into tapping into these funds. - She further explained that the association has received a request from close to 20 small hotels asking for support in light of the disruptions caused by inconsistent power supply. - You know, the power crisis in Samoa is not a small issue for the industry` the tourism industry, as I know everyone thinks that if you're a hotel owner, then it only affects you. But everyone has to remember that when a tourist comes to Samoa, it's not just the accommodation but also the activities that they do, like maybe going to a restaurant and any activity that needs power. It really affects, you know, the industry as a whole. - And finally, in the arts, two Solomon Islands collectives have been singled out for their work at the Queensland Art Gallery Triennial. Liza Osifelo reports. - Queensland Art Gallery has praised the participation of the KAWAKI and Dreamcast collectives in the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial, noting the significant impact they have made during their month-long exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. These two Solomon Island collectives use art as a tool to tell local stories through multidisciplinary collaborations. - As you can see, the space has really been designed to` for people to sit and to enjoy and watch. It's very immersive, and I think what has stood out to a lot of audiences, at least the ones that I've come in with, also noting the role that the young people have taken to go and listen to the stories of their elders and really seen as leaders in this community context, but in a place where there was a history of tribal wars, the, kind of, how their care for the environment has been such a unifying force. And this is a really powerful example, I think, for audiences all over the world. - Beautiful work. Well, after the break ` from the highs of rugby league to doing time, Manu Vatuvei forges a new chapter in his story. - Where you are now to where you were before ` remember how hard it was. Remember the pain that you went through, because you don't want to go through that pain again, especially putting that pain on your family too. (PERCUSSIVE MUSIC) - Malo e lelei, welcome back. 'Prison was a lifesaver' ` that's how rugby league star Manu Vatuvei described his time behind bars for his role in a methamphetamine importation ring. Jailed in 2022, he served 15 months of his three-year sentence before being paroled. Since then, he's gone about changing his life and those of others around him through fitness. John Pulu caught up with 'The Beast', as he was known on the field, for this story. (GENTLE MUSIC) - Three, two, one, second exercise! - At the BBM HQ in Manukau, there's no excuses. - It's awesome. It's a great experience for me. I've never been to a gym nor exercised in my life, but as getting older, yeah, realised that I had to do something about it. - Here, It's more than just fitness ` each class is transforming mindsets one person at a time. - For me, it's a safe space. Just coming through those doors ` no judgements. And surround yourself with` it's a lot of positive people here. Everyone's got a story here. For me, it's` it's just a good vibe. You can be yourself here. - The free gym was founded by community advocate Dave Letele over 10 years ago... - This guy's amazing, man ` Reuben. - ...to help turn lives around and reduce obesity among Maori and Pasifika people. - To me, BBM, wherever we are, it's a symbol of hope, and, you know, we're activists for change. Yeah. So that's pretty amazing` I'm really` yeah, I feel really blessed. - Nice work, guys. Nice work, nice work. - And the man leading the change on this day is rugby league legend Manu Vatuvei. - So be proud and be confident in yourselves that youse can do it, all right? Don't ever doubt yourself. I think that's one thing that we always do every time, is that we doubt, we have that doubt in ourselves that says we're not good enough to jump into this class ` we're not good enough to do this. - The former New Zealand Warrior actually went up against Dave in the ring at one stage, and now they're fighting for different reasons. - This is our from the couch programme. It goes on for 12 weeks. They're in their fifth week now, so I'm just slowly introducing a bit more intense workout now. Very proud of these guys. You know, they've come a long way within the five weeks. They're all confident in themselves, and just gotta try and have that self-doubt out of their mind that they can do things ` you know, be more confident in themselves, yeah. - Known as 'The Beast', the top-scoring league winger was tackling his toughest opponent off the field in one of the darkest times of his life. - So in 2016, there was a game that we played in Melbourne, and... (CLEARS THROAT) and we got smashed, and then we came back, and a few of us went and had a` had a few games of poker, and went out and about, and then got caught from one of the places that we were at, and they messaged or called the club and told them about it. And then we got stood down for a bit. They said it was gonna keep it in-house, But then eventually it came` came out in the media of what happened, and that's when I kind of broke. When that story came out, that was the breaking point for myself. And` yeah, just went a spiral of wanting to take my own life. Was saved from one of the brothers, and he followed me around, and... just was there for me. And then all the other boys that were a part of it, came around me too. - In 2022, this is where Manu was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for importing methamphetamine worth $200,000 from India. - I was going through some depression stuff, and anxiety, especially when I had my name suppression revoked. That was pretty tough, cos everyone` everyone kind of knew what was happening. They knew it was, kind of` some people knew it was already me. So it wasn't news to anyone, but, you know, just to come out publicly through the media and having all the eyes on me was a lot more tough, cos` the only hard thing was is it's not only me that's fighting through this. It's my whole family too. - Incarcerated and heavy with guilt, he had everything taken away from him. But one thing he didn't lose was his family support. I hear you share about your family and how important they are to you, and not letting them down. That's quite big to you, eh? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Especially your kids. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. (SOFT MUSIC) Yeah, every time` yeah, it's hard to talk about my family, cos they mean a lot to me, you know. I'll do anything to make sure they're happy, but sometimes I can't, and that's the times that I find tough. And every time they hurt, it hurts me even more, so, you know, they mean the world to me. If they ever need my help with anything, I always try my best to help them. If I can't, I can't, but I'll still` I'll still try as much as I can. - (SPEAKS TONGAN) - What if people ask, 'What if you go back to the old Manu?' What do you say to that? - I always` I always think back` 'Do I want to go back there?' And that's why I always tell my classes, 'Where you are now 'to where you were before ` 'remember how hard it was.' Remember the pain that you went through, because you don't want to go through that pain again, especially putting that pain on your family too. So I` I know the feeling now. You know what I mean? So I'll never do that again. - After playing more than 200 games for the Warriors with an NRL grand final appearance and playing for the Kiwis in Tonga, the Beast is back, reminiscing on a sporting career he's immensely proud of. - You know, I gave everything that I could to the game and I enjoyed every moment of it. I've had some highs and I've had some lows, but that was part of being an athlete. I don't regret anything. If I had to change anything, I wouldn't, because I wouldn't make the person that I am now, so... just got to continue with what I'm doing now and be happy and just be a supporter now. Two, one, and change! - A helping hand and a new lease on life. - To everyone that was hurt from what I did, especially, you know, fans and people that used to support me, I apologise for everything that I've done. It wasn't something that I wanted to do to hurt anyone. It was out of the ordinary, what I did. But at the end of the day, you know, I'm accountable for all the actions that I did. But to anyone that's going through the same thing, just try and fight and think about your family, and think about` always know that you're never alone. Always know that there's people around you that's trying to help you, not go against you. Hey, hey! GROUP SHOUTS: Ho! - Let's go! (LAUGHS) - Malo, Manu. Well, that is the end of our show. Tena te fakaotiga o te polokalame. If you want to see any of our stories again or the latest Pacific news, go to tpplus.co.nz or TVNZ+. For now, have a great weekend, Aotearoa. Tofa soifua. Captions by Sam Baker and Kate McCullough. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.