Rawiri is a 27-year-old man from Matamata, who spent $250 at an online casino to play slots. He initially won $1500, but decided to try his luck by wagering on the Jackpot round. It was then that he cashed in on the life-changing prize. He was recently awarded with a cheque in front of the national media, and he was promised that the money would be in his account by the end of the week.

“We’re all thrilled for Rawiri. It’s a life-changing amount of money and we wish him the very best for the future,” says a spokesperson at the online casino where the generous prize was won.

The lucky winner has not yet made any specific plans for his winnings. However, he does know that he will be spending much of his prize to help out his parents and three siblings.

“I still can’t believe this is real. I’ve been in shock since I won and it is literally going to change my life,” he said in an interview with Maori Television. “There is so much my family and I can do with this money and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We are so overwhelmed and happy.”

This is great news for Rawiri and his family, and we wish them all the best with their newfound wealth!

The post Maori Man Wins $10m Jackpot At Online Casino appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

“I am grateful to have had the chance to help build a company that touched so many people,” reads a statement from Waldron. “Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it

Waldron joined Zynga six years ago when the social gaming company was just an idea in founder Mark Pincus’ head. He was approached by Pincus for help with the development of an online poker game with unique social gaming elements. The result of their teamwork was Zynga Poker, one of the company’s best-selling titles.

This week, Waldron announced that he would be leaving Zynga to pursue his personal business interests. He has not yet announced what his future pursuits are, but we anticipate that he will either continue in the social gaming market or work on his investment portfolio, which include Delectable, Instant Cab and Red Hot Labs.

The post Co-Founder Leaves Zynga appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

At the moment, the moment amount of revenue that pokies must donate is 37%. Mr Tremain would like to see that boosted to 43% over the course of the next four years, which would result in an additional $42 million being donated to local community groups.

He also wants to ensure that pokie grants are delivered back into the community from which the pokie revenue was collected. Low income areas have the highest pokie spending, but pokie grants are distributed evenly across the country. As such, disadvantaged communities receive a disproportionate amount of funding from gaming grants.

“There is a perception that money returned to particular areas is disproportionately low compared to the amount that was raised in that area through the gaming machines,” says Mr Tremain. “The potential harm from gambling in particular communities is not being mitigated through commensurate returns to that community.”

The post Internal Affairs Wants More From Pokie Grants appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

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.

The post Little Support For Queenstown Convention Centre Casino appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

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.

The post Gambling Harm Minimisation Bill Passed appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

“There’s been quite a lot of assumption that the deal has already been done with the casino, so let’s get that out on the table loud and clear now, there has not been a deal done with SkyCity”, she said. “They were one of the consortium members in terms of operating the convention centre, there have been some subsequent discussions but certainly not a deal done.”

Van Uden addressed a room full of concerned politicians and residents last week. She announced that a deal had not yet been finalized, and that it would need to pass legislation before any property could be constructed. Van Uden also encouraged local residents to make submissions on the issue, letting the council know how they could feel about a new casino in the area.

Some residents believe that a referendum is essential in making the decision. However, van Uden is not entirely convinced. She has stated that any requests for a referendum should be made through submissions. If there enough interest, she will consider a referendum.

The post No SkyCity Deal for Queenstown Yet appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

In Christchurch, local politicians have proposed the introduction of a local alcohol policy (LAP), which would stop all nightclubs from serving alcohol after 1am. Only nightclubs within the city centre would be able to serve alcohol until 3am – and Christchurch Casino would remain the only venue that is permitted to hold a 24-hour liquor license.

Since the new nightclub will be a part of the casino, the 24-hour liquor license has been extended to the venue. So, technically, it could serve alcohol all day. If the nightclub is permitted to stay open all day, it will be the second venue is Christchurch to serve alcohol 24-hours a day.

As it stands, the nightclub will be open to individuals over the age of 20. During off-peak times, it will be an all ages venue (for other types of events). The venue is also being booked for a wide range of events in 2014, including gala dinners, corporate events and fashion shows.

The post New Christchurch Casino May be a 24-Hour Venue appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

Peters stood before Grey Power, and spoke out against Sky City’s new deal with China Southern Airlines. The deal will fast-track the visa process for high roller casino players, and Peters believes that will encourage more crime. It is likely that it will make it easier for criminals to launder money and conduct other illegal business at SkyCity.

He is also outraged that a 15-storey brothel will be opening up across the street from the casino. He believes that the new venue, combined with the lenient visa laws, will make it easier for human trafficking and other sex crimes to take place.

“What is really happening to Auckland?” Peters asks. “The seven deadly sins are apparently alive and well here”.

Residents are also upset about the new developments but few other politicians have spoken out. It is a worrying state of affairs, but it seems that locals can only hope for the best at this point.

The post Winston Peters Called Auckland a ‘City of Sin’ appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

As a result of the fall in spending, several other gambling-related numbers have taken a dive. For example, the number of gaming license holders has fallen to 353 from 359 in 2012. The total number of pokies has also declined. In 2012, there were 18 001 pokies; now, there are just 17 542.

While a decline in spending may be negative for gaming clubs and the gambling industry as a whole, it is positive thing for local residents. Over the course of the past few years, gambling addiction numbers have climbed to an all-time high in New Zealand. Local politicians have been working hard to reduce problem gambling rates, and their efforts are paying off.

The introduction of MP Te Ururoa Flavell’s Harm Reduction Bill seems to have alerted locals to the harms of gambling. The bill has received a great deal of media attention, and it is likely to have discouraged some punters from wagering on pokies in the past year.

The post New Zealand Gambling Spending Falls appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.

The Auditor General’s assistance was requested by the Greens in 2012. The political party felt that the deal (which would see SkyCity build the $350 million convention centre in return for 500 new pokies) was not entirely above board, and Phillippa Smith was brought in to investigate the deal.

She determined that SkyCity had been given an unfair advantage, especially since the casino operator was the government’s last choice. However, the group was willing to pay for all of the construction costs for the convention centre, so the government worked with SkyCity to improve its proposal. Although John Key claims that these findings vindicate the deal, Smith states otherwise.

As such, The Greens and other political groups feel that the tender process should be repeated. Many other groups were interested in building the convention centre, and they feel that they should be given a fair chance to bid on the project.

The post Auditor General Clarifies SkyCity Report appeared first on Online Casinos NZ.