Author Archives: Bethany

Beth is a professional writer who specialises in online gambling. Originally from Canada, she has made New Zealand her adoptive home.

Auckland Researchers Conduct World’s Largest Problem Gambling Trial

In New Zealand, problem gambling rates are on the rise. Local researchers want to determine the best possible way to treat gambling addiction, so they are currently studying the epidemic. AUT University has recently published a study called ‘The Effectiveness of Problem Gambling Brief Telephone Interventions: A Randomised Controlled Trial’, which involved over 400 gambling…

100 Billionth Hand Promotion at Poker Stars

Yet another milestone is coming up at PokerStars, as the renowned online poker room prepares to deal its 100 billionth hand. Leading up to the milestone hand, PokerStars will be providing players with the chance to take part in a wide range of promotions that offer up generous prizes. As was the case with all…

Winston Peters Called Auckland a ‘City of Sin’

NZ First leader Winston Peters is outraged at the leniency that New Zealand politicians are exercising with regards to gambling laws in Auckland. Last week, he made a speech condemning the city for its relaxing gambling laws and the new potential for crime in the city. Peters stood before Grey Power, and spoke out against…

Final Sky City Convention Centre Deal Angers Locals

Sky City and Premier John Key have finally come to a settlement with regards to the terms of their convention centre deal. In return for Sky City spending $402 million to build Auckland’s new convention centre, the casino operator will be granted permission to install nearly 300 new games and will have its license extended….

New Zealand Gambling Spending Falls

In New Zealand, gambling spending is on the decline. According to statistics released by the Department of Internal Affairs, Kiwis spent 4% less on gambling than they had in the previous year. Local responsible gambling advocates have taken this to mean that residents are becoming more aware of the potential harms of gambling. As a…

Online Poker Numbers on the Decline

There was a time when online poker was the most popular online activity, providing internet users from around the world with a unique gaming experience. Now, it seems as though the trend is dying, as online poker numbers have dropped for the past seven weeks. According to traffic monitor Poker Scout, online poker activity is…

Pre-Commitment Proposed for Harm Reduction Bill

MP Te Ururoa Flavell has introduced a number of new provisions to his Harm Reduction Bill. After garnering a great deal of support for the legislation, he has decided that several new responsible gambling methods would benefit the community by reducing problem gambling rates. Flavell seems to have taken some inspiration from Australia’s federal government….

Zynga Plus Casino and Zynga Plus Poker Now Live

Popular social gaming developer Zynga has finally made its move into the online casino market. After being live for over a month, ZyngaPlusPoker.com and ZyngaPlusCasino.com are now hosting a wide range of online gambling activities for players to enjoy. These new online gambling websites will revolutionize the market. Real-money casino operators have launched Facebook apps…

Auditor General Clarifies SkyCity Report

This week, Auditor General Phillippa Smith came forward to offer some clarification about her report concerning the SkyCity convention centre deal. She initially reported that neither the casino operator nor the local government acted inappropriately – and Prime Minister John Key announced that the report vindicated the deal. Unfortunately for him, this was not the…

Changes to Microgaming’s Bad Beat Jackpot Pay Off

Bad beat jackpots are becoming increasingly rare in the online casino world, since interest in progressive poker jackpots seems to be dying out. This month, Microgaming attempted to revive interest in bad beat jackpots by making quite a few changes to its network, and they seem to be paying out. According to PokerFuse, since the…