Gambling Helplines Combine Forces

The issue of problem gambling has become quite prevalent in the online gambling community. Gambling reform has been presented as a suitable solution, but education and counselling are also needed to make the initiative successful. As such, two helplines in New Zealand have joined forces to take on this cause.

Kidsline and Gambling Helpline have decided to start working together in order to tackle the problem together. Being the most popular helplines in New Zealand, it seems appropriate that they would partner up, covering most of the area affected by rising problem gambling rates.

A product of this partnership is the establishment of the Gambling Helpline Youth Program. As part of this initiative, Kidsline and Gambling Helpline will work together to provide targeted guidance for children and teens who are concerned about their parents’ gambling behaviour.

Problem gambling education starts at home, and children should be made well-aware of the consequences of becoming addicted to gambling. By helping youth deal with their families’ problems, the two helplines will help stop problem gambling at the root of the problem.

Queenstown Casino Missed Out On Rugby Cup Revenue

The World Rugby Cup, hosted last year in New Zealand, brought a great deal of tourism dollars into the economy. Hotels, entertainment venues and casinos all saw a boost in revenue – except for Sky City Queenstown, which seems to have missed out.

Across the country, Sky City Casinos raked in over $30 million as a result of the tourism brought in by the Rugby World Cup. Sky City Queenstown, however, was not as fortunate. Casino goers seemed to avoid the area, leaving Queenstown out of the gambling free-for-all.

Queenstown seemed to see the largest influx of players during Chinese New Years’ early on in 2012. Asian gamblers set upon the Sky City Casino, bringing with them valuable gambling revenue. However, the activity failed to make up for the lack of profits earned during the Rugby World Cup.

However, Sky City Queenstown could stand to be much worse off. Christchurch Casino has yet to recover from the recent earthquake that hit the area, and it does not seem like the gambling venue will be bringing in casino dollars any time soon.

Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction Linked to Gaming

Online gaming is currently one of the most popular leisure activities in the world. Believe it or not, more and more adults are spending an increasing amount of time playing games online, making it a substantial hobby. As such, it becomes an important issue in many relationships today, affecting how successful a couple is, romantically.

Brigham Young University has recently published a study that confirms this. The study has found that couples who enjoy playing online games together experience higher rates of satisfaction in their relationships. 76% of the couples interviewed who play games together reported being happy in their relationships, while 70% of couples in which only one partner games have relationship problems.

However, the study also found that if one partner is more experienced than the other, it could lead to relationship troubles. They may get frustrated if their romantic counterpart cannot keep up.

We suppose the fact remains that all couples who enjoy at least one mutual activity will experience more satisfaction in their relationships. Whether it’s playing online poker or console video games, if couples enjoy the same things, they will be happier together.

Online Gambling Displaces Land-Based Casinos

The New Zealand government has worked hard to outlaw online gambling over the past few years, but it was inevitable that residents would catch on to the craze. Despite politicians’ best efforts to ban the activity, online gambling is gaining popularity in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s land-based casinos are seeing fewer patrons and less profits this year, thanks to the increasingly popularity of online gambling. Even pokies, one of the country’s favourite pastimes, are seeing less play. Last year, players in the Northland province spent 24% less on poker machines than they had the previous year.

A wide range of land-based operators have decided to take their games online, and players have followed. Companies like Aristocrat and IGT, two of the biggest poker machine manufacturers, have made the shift and gained a huge following in the online world.

“Internet gambling is way more accessible”, says Problem Gambling Counsellor Diane Matthews. “But the sad thing about that is all the money goes overseas.”

The online gambling market is not regulated in New Zealand, but operators may want to consider doing so in the future. If not, land-based casino profits will continue to fall, and the government lose out on a great deal of tax revenue.

Women More Likely to Develop Gambling Addiction to Pokies

Recently, several studies have been commission to determine the effects of poker machines on the communities in which they are located. They have shone a great deal of light on the gambling industry in New Zealand and Australia, offering valuable insight into the ways in which people respond to the gambling industry.

A recent study by the Responsible Gambling Advocacy Centre has revealed information about the way in which women interact with poker machines. It has revealed that women are far more likely than men to develop problem gambling habits, using them as a form of escapism from the problems of everyday life.

One of the main reasons that women have turned to poker machines is that they are more interested in forms of gambling that require no social interaction. Males gravitate to more social games like poker and table games, while women want to isolate themselves.

The study also shows that women are more reluctant to confess their gambling problems, so a number of cases go unreported. According to researchers, women believe there is a severe stigma involved in becoming a problem gambling as a female. This stigma is likely to blame for the low number of women who seek help for their gambling addictions.

Shamed Rugby Player to Deal with Gambling Addiction

Earlier this year, former Taranaki player Willie Ripia had resigned from the rugby league, after being accused of stealing from his teammates in order to fund his gambling addiction. Recently, he announced that he is dedicated to getting treatment for his problem and hopes to right his wrongs.

While Ripia did not confirm the claims that he had been stealing from other Taranaki players, he was dealing with “serious issues” and made mention of the fact that gambling had affected his life in a very negative way. Released this week, a statement confirmed that Ripia would be taking some time to himself to deal with his issues.

While problem gambling has been debated for quite some time in New Zealand, this case has shed a great deal of light on the situation. As a famous athlete struggles with gambling addiction, the public eye is focused intently on the issue.

Now, politicians are even more motivated to deal with the issue of rising problem gambling rates. In Australia, pokie reform is under review and New Zealand politicians are also working on ways to reduce harm done by gambling in throughout the country.

IGT Spends $500 Million on Acquisition of Double Down Interactive

International Games Technology is really aiming to make a splash in the online gambling world. Even though the developer already has a vast web presence, IGT is still looking to expand. One way in which the company plans on doing so is by acquiring social games developer Double Down for a huge $500 million.

Double Down Interactive is one of the most successful social gaming operators on the web. If you don’t know what social gaming is, here is a quick overview:

Social games are those offered by social networks like Facebook. They allow players use the Facebook interface to play games and by doing so, they are able to share their information with other players via their Facebook walls and timelines. Players can also use the social network to invite their friends to join them.

Double Down already has a fairly impressive Facebook casino application, with over 4 million visitors every month. IGT’s acquisition of the company will certainly in the company a large spot in the social gaming market. In the process, IGT will become one of the first official gambling operators to foray into the social gaming industry.

Earthquake Still Affecting Christchurch Casino

The earthquake happened months ago, but the aftershock is still being felt across Christchurch. Many businesses are having a difficult time recovering and returning back to normal operation, and insurance firms are not making things any easier. Insurance companies are introducing new policies and clauses that may seem a little unfair in the event of another natural disaster.

In Christchurch Casino’s casino, the operator has been forced to agree to a $5 million excess, as opposed to its previous $50 000 excess. This means that the casino operator must pay the first $5 million in damages, and then the insurance company will cover the rest.

While it is a great responsibility for the casino, there aren’t many other options. Should the operator choose to forego this coverage, Christchurch Casino runs the risk of not being insured at all.

Christchurch Casino may have gotten one of the better post-quake deals. Some companies cannot receive full coverage while others are being faced with no coverage policies, in which the insurance company will not pay for damage that occurs 24 – 72 hours after a natural disaster.

NZ Problem Gambling Foundation to Host Conference

In February, the New Zealand Problem Gambling Foundation will host its fourth annual International Gambling Conference. The event is expected to draw in hundreds of organizations from around the world, helping them work together to fight gambling addiction on a vast scale.

The event will take place from February22 to February 24, and problem gambling advocates from all over the world are invited to attend. At the conference, the NZ Problem Gambling Foundation encourages attendees to share their ideas for battling rising problem gambling rates on an international scale. Those who attend are invited to share research, proposals and other information regarding problem gambling.

Workshops and lectures will allow groups from around the world to share information about curbing problem gambling rates. The NZ Problem Gambling Foundation states that the topics these events will cover are: treatment options, international collaborations and research projects.

Last year, 220 organizations were represented at the event, and the Problem Gambling Foundation hopes for an even more impressive turnout this year. To get involved, contact Cynthia Orme of the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand at [email protected]

Double Mobile Jackpot Hit at All Slots Casino

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On December 3rd, a player named Sharon S hit a $15 000 jackpot while playing Mermaid Millions on All Slots’ mobile platform. Later that same day she won an additional $15 000 jackpot while playing Age of Discovery at All Slots Flash-based casino online. This is an uncanny feat for any player at an online casino, and she is certainly pleased with this strange but pleasant result.

If that wasn’t enough good fortune for Sharon, the operator of All Slots added another great prize. Sharon was sent an Android tablet so that she will be able to play at All Slots wherever she goes!

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