Christchurch Casino’s move to launch an online casino in Malta has disappointed problem gambling safety advocates in New Zealand.
The new offshore subsidiary, to be known as Christchurchcasino.com Limited, is expected to launch before the end of the year. Bruce Robertson, Chairperson, stated that the new offshore subsidiary would be partnering with a licensed international gambling company. The decision came amid the growing popularity of online casino over land-based ones.
Online gambling is only permitted in New Zealand by Lotto NZ or TAB. However, it’s legal for New Zealanders not to gamble online on any offshore sites. As a subsidiary company, Christchurchcasino.com would, however, not be allowed to advertise in New Zealand under current legislation.
Robertson noted that the online site would involve robust responsible gambling safeguards, and would pay goods and services tax (GST) and contribute to Christchurch Casino’s charitable trust.
But Bridgitte Thornley, National Director of Christchurch-based Problem Gambling Foundation Services, spoke of her disappointment and concern at the decision to establish an overseas presence to go online.
Thornley stated that the domain name could lead people to believe it is a trusted site based in New Zealand, even though it does not follow New Zealand laws. The website would also be accessible if users searched the domain name online for details about events or opening hours.
Voicing similar concerns was Maria Bellringer, Associate Professor at the Auckland University of Technology’s Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, who added that online gambling was more harmful than land-based.
“It can be done 24/7 and in secret,” said Bellringer. “There’s unlikely to be supervision there or people who can keep an eye on whether someone is gambling for a long time.”
SkyCity, a New Zealand-based online casino operator launched an online gambling site in Malta in 2019. This would be not the first such move.
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