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Online Gambling Public Consultation Launches in New Zealand

The country’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has launched an online gambling public consultation process to look at the future of a local online casino industry. On Wednesday, 31 July, New Zealand’s DIA opened up a public consultation process to find out if the views of Kiwis on a potential expansion of the country’s online casino and gambling options. The consultations will run until 30 September 2019. New Zealanders interested in submitting their views can do that on the DIA’s website.

The opening of the online gambling public consultation process is an important move. The DIA said that New Zealand’s gambling laws are in need of amendments. Created in 2003, the gambling landscape has changed a lot since then and therefore the laws need to catch up.

Currently, there are only two local online gambling platforms in the country – NZ TAB and Lotto NZ. Both of these platforms are state-run entities offering a limited range of online gambling products.

online gambling public consultation

What the DIA Wants to Find Out

In opening the question of online gambling to NZ citizens, the department wants to find out the following:

  • Keeping local online gambling the way it currently is.
  • Increasing the range of products the TAB and Lotto offers online.
  • Giving licenses to domestic charitable or commercial operators for online gambling.
  • Expanding their focus and allowing any qualified entity – local or otherwise – to provide gambling online to Kiwis.

Furthermore, another consideration by the DIA is how to get NZ online gamblers to play at locally licensed sites as opposed to internationally licensed ones. Online gambling is already quite popular among New Zealanders. Over the past 18 months, local residents spent around NZ$381 million at online casinos that are licensed internationally.

Online Gambling Public Consultation Seeks Input on Problem Gambling

Gambling online is legal in New Zealand. However, the law doesn’t allow for online gambling sites to operate locally in the country. The department insists that is isn’t opening an online gambling public consultation to outlaw online casinos. It simply wants to “future-proof” the country’s legislation, and prevent and minimise potential gambling harm that would result from online gambling.

Finally, they’re also opening online gambling public consultation to find out what should be done to control online gambling advertising, secure adequate funding for problem gambling programmes and education campaigns, and a ban on gambling online with credit cards.

For more Kiwi casino news, check out our news blog.

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