Little Support For Queenstown Convention Centre Casino

Queenstown’s new convention centre will boost the city’s economy, and local politicians have considered the idea of building a casino on site. The gambling venue would simply be a location of the existing SkyCity Queenstown casino, but residents are still opposed to the plan.

Relocating SkyCity Queenstown was proposed as a potential way to help subsidize the cost. 748 public submissions were made, and more 40% of them opposed the plan. According to the Otago Daily Times, 33% of submissions ‘strongly opposed’ the casino while 10% ‘opposed’ it.

“If there was no risk to the community of greater cost, timeliness of the development process or completion deadline we would support some combined development,” says Graham Budd of Destination Queenstown, the state’s tourism organisation.

Destination Queenstown echoes the sentiments of most residents by supporting a standalone convention centre. Representatives of the organization believe that the venue can be profitable and successful on its own, and that the construction of a casino will hinder the progress and increase the cost of the convention centre.

New MMO Based On Casino Market

This month, Goldfire Games has released a new MMO called CasinoRPG. Allowing players to interact in a unique way, this game brings something completely new to the online casino market that has never been seen before.

Social casino games certainly exist, but not in this capacity. Players can access online slots and online poker games through Facebook, interacting with players and levelling up their experience – but they have never been presented with the chance to assume the role of a digital character.

In CasinoRPG, players control a virtual character, which is entirely customizable. As players earn cash by playing casino games (such as poker, roulette and slots), they can purchase upgrades for the character’s appearance and home. Earning cash also allows the player to level up, which unlocks more capabilities in the game.

When players reach Level 10, they can even open up their own casino. Like, everything else in the game, it is fully customizable. Players can choose which games to offer and decide how the casino will be designed. Then, other digital players can visit the casino and wager on the games.

CasinoRPG is still in Beta stages, but it has been well-received thus far. We anticipate that it will be a huge success in the online gambling market.

Gambling Harm Minimisation Bill Passed

It has been an arduous uphill battle for MP Te Ururoa Flavell, but his Gambling Harm Minimisation Bill has finally been passed. The legislation that has been passed is a far cry from his original proposal, but he is optimistic about its potential effects on the local community.

Shortly after Mr Flavell presented his bill, it was amended by a select committee. According to responsible gambling groups across the country, the ‘watered down’ bill was hardly recognizable, and they asked the author to withdraw it – but Flavell persisted.

“It is a bittersweet moment for me. When I think back to where we came from and the original intent of the bill, of course I am disappointed,” he says. “But, I have chosen to pursue change, and in my view this bill represents a small step in the right direction.”
The Harm Minimisation Bill will changed the way in which poker machines are regulated across the country. It will not only increase the amount of money that pokies donate to community organizations; it will also increase transparency, so that gaming trusts cannot misappropriate funds.

The Department of Internal Affairs supports the passing of the bill, and representatives will work with Flavell to ensure that its terms are enforced throughout the country.

Sinking Lid Policy May Apply to All of Dunedin

The year, Dunedin’s city council decided to enact a sinking lid policy on poker machines in the south of city. The plan is beneficial because the area has one of the highest concentration of pokies in the country, but politicians are now wondering if the sinking lid policy should apply to the whole city.

South Dunedin’s new sinking lid policy aims to reduce the number of games until there are only five pokies clubs containing a maximum of 50 games. At the moment, there are 12 clubs with 168 pokies, making the rate of games 12 pokies per 1000 people.

Throughout the rest of Dunedin, there are 3.4 pokies per 1000 people, which is far below the national average of 5 games per 1000 people. There is a cap of 362 pokies in 30 venues, but some councillors want to see a stricter policy.

Councillor Richard Thomson has requested that South Dunedin’s sinking lid policy apply to the whole city. He believes that this will help to reduce problem gambling rates across all of Dunedin. As expected, club and pub owners are not on board, so there will likely be a heated debate over the issue.