The term “art union” is today used in a wider sense than the sense in which it is employed in the gaming legislation. The art union proper as defined in the Gaming Act exists only to a limited extent in New Zealand, and is confined to a few academies or societies of fine arts.

What has generally become known as the art union is the national lottery. The term “art union” is due to the fact that originally the prizes in the lottery were alluvial gold. These major art unions are now known as the Golden Kiwi lottery.