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Stakelogic Links up with LeoVegas

November 1, 2022 by Admin

Major online casino operator, LeoVegas, has cemented a new content deal with equally prominent iGaming developer, Stakelogic, to feature the company’s Stakelogic Live product.

The deal is made possible by Stakelogic Live’s aggregator partner, Relax Gaming, and will see LeoVegas add Stakelogic Live’s network tables and gameshow titles to its live dealer catalogue for Sweden and all MGA markets.

The deal includes a collection of Live Dealer blackjack and roulette table variants. The games will be streamed via Stakelogic Live’s world-class studio in Birkirkara, Malta, which integrates hi-tech audio and visual innovations, along with lightning-fast and crystal-clear broadcast quality.

The game tables feature visually arresting backdrops that convey unique gaming atmospheres, with themes inspired by Las Vegas, Macau, and more.

LeoVegas will also integrate a list of Stakelogic Live gameshow titles, such as Super Stake Roulette 5,000X. This game includes a Super Stake feature that lets you double your bet in exchange for heightened chances of triggering a bonus with potentially huge wins in store.

Stakelogic Live’s tables are hosted by professional and friendly dealers, expertly selected and trained to provide an entertaining and engaging experience.

Olga Bajela, the COO at Stakelogic Live, said,

“It is great to have added LeoVegas to our growing roster of tier-one operator partners and for its players in Sweden and all MGA markets to be able to enjoy the unrivalled experience that each title provides. Stakelogic Live is now a must-have provider for operators looking to deliver the best live dealer content to their players and we look forward to seeing those at LeoVegas sit down at our network tables and experience first-hand what they have to offer.”

Rokas Benetis, the Director of Live Casino at LeoVegas, stated,

“We are committed to providing our players with a comprehensive live casino portfolio comprised of the best games from the best providers, and this partnership with Stakelogic Live is a testament to this commitment. “

Filed Under: Australian Online Casinos, Gambling Articles, NZ Casino news

Evolution to Launch Live Studio for Connecticut Online Gaming

July 15, 2022 by Admin

Connecticut’s fast-growing gambling scene will soon welcome a vital new development, according to a recent announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont. The official shared that Evolution Gaming has soft-launched its new live studio in the state, with a full launch scheduled for July 18.

The new studio is located in Fairfield and offers live dealer content.

Lamont announced the launch in a news release, saying,

“With the addition of Evolution, we are continuing to provide a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience that provides an elevated user experience for eligible residents and is competitive with our neighbouring states. Connecticut has proven to be a leader when it comes to the gaming economy going back decades, and this expansion allows those who want to participate to continue doing so, responsibly.”

The release also stated that the studio already has a staff complement of 140 workers. Once fully staffed, it will employ 400 workers. The construction of the studio was necessitated by state law that requires a company to run a physical facility in Connecticut if it wants to offer live dealer games.

Top Selection

Evolution’s live dealer options are limited to blackjack and roulette during the one-week soft launch. Once the full launch happens, the provider will offer a full suite of live dealer games available on Connecticut’s FanDuel Casino and DraftKings apps.

DraftKings Casino recently shared that it would offer Bragg Gaming content in Connecticut, allowing players to enjoy Bragg’s Spin Games RGS (remote game server) games, including 21 + 3 Progressive Blackjack and Ripley’s Big Wheel.

Connecticut is among six US states that offer regulated iGaming options. The state launched its regulated environment in October 2021, joining West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. All of the states mentioned have also legalized online poker.

Filed Under: Articles, Gambling Articles

Waikato district loses $8 million to pokies in a year

April 19, 2022 by Admin

Between 2020 and 2021, players in South Waikato collectively lost over $8 million to pokies, a situation that has created severely negative impacts on the area’s families.

These figures came to light when community members provided feedback to the South Waikato District Council regarding its Gambling Class 4 and TAB Venue Policy. In total, $8,057,439 across 160 class 4pokie machines was lost in the 2020-21 financial year.

A South Waikato woman, who asked to remain anonymous, described the impact of gambling on whānau as devastating.

“Growing up, both of my parents were gamblers and we knew that. They would always disappear to the pub to play the pokies. You don’t realise how impactful it is until you’re older and realise how abandoned you felt. It was really hard and lonely as a child when you have younger siblings who are wondering where their parents are or who is going to feed them,” she said.

“I’m a grown woman now and this issue has always existed here for us. It isn’t getting better, it has increasingly gotten worse over time. I’m sure pokies have economic benefits but it is devastating families here,” she continued.

Andree Froude, the Problem Gambling Foundation’s Communication Director expressed sympathy, stating that problem gambling is holistically detrimental to peoples’ lives.

“Harmful gambling has long tentacles – one person’s gambling can impact up to seven other people. Gambling can lead to job loss, relationship breakdowns, child neglect, and loss of homes, fraud and suicide. One of the most consistent findings is when children have a close family member with a gambling problem they are far more likely to develop problems themselves,” she explained.

A 2016 survey discovered that gambling harm was disproportionately represented in high deprivation areas.

An excerpt from the survey findings reads, “For those who gamble on pokies in pubs or clubs regularly, research shows that 49 per cent of participants experienced some gambling harm … Pacific and Māori peoples were also twice as likely to experience gambling harm.”

Public Testimony

The South Waikato District Council received 13 submissions as part of its public consultation process and ten of those who made the submissions are set to speak at the hearings on 5 May.

The district has also re-emphasised its commitment to its Sinking Lid policy, which has halted the issuing of any new licences for gambling activities in pubs and clubs while preventing existing ones from being shifted to different locations.

The South Waikato woman continued her statement, adding that she hopes for a future where her region is free from pokies, saying,

“I really hope that other whānau don’t experience harmful gambling. I also hope that one day, we don’t have to see these machines here. We’ve seen them for too long.

Filed Under: Gambling Articles

Kiwibank reveals $30m monthly customer online gambling spend

April 5, 2022 by Admin

Data made available by Kiwibank and other sources reveal that the financial institution’s customers are spending close to $30 million every month on online gambling sites.

This information has emerged as the country’s Department of Internal Affairs is engaged in an ongoing review to regulate online gambling that is currently in its third year.

Julia Jackson, Kiwibank’s head of purpose and sustainability said,

“When we look at our own customers, what we see is there is about $30 million a month that’s being spent on online gambling and 80 percent of that is offshore. It really is [an incredible amount] and what’s a really interesting trend that we’ve seen is from the first COVID lockdown in 2020, that number has massively increased and it hasn’t gone down.”

The offshore sites mentioned are largely based in territories like Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Estonia, and Lithuania, which are ideal environments for companies seeking low taxes and the ideal region to offer internet gambling to the world.

Kiwibank offers a voluntary exclusion system, where customers can choose to block themselves from using their accounts to play on offshore sites. Over $7.1 million has been saved by users of this block since its introduction.

 Long-Running Review

While Kiwibank implements harm-minimisation measures, the government has drawn criticism for not demonstrating a similar sense of urgency.

Its review into online gambling was launched in July 2019 and public submissions were completed by mid-2020. With no final report announced, Internal Affairs has advised that the review is “ongoing and we are expecting Cabinet to consider options later this year”.

Maria Bellringer, a gambling addiction researcher at Auckland University of Technology pointed to other countries’ practice of only allowing players access to reputable sites.

“I’m well aware of the consultation that went on in 2019 and I was very surprised that nothing came of it to date and disappointed,” she commented.

“Something needs to be done, I think a lot of people don’t realise what they’re getting into with online gambling. Online gambling is a high-risk factor for developing problem gambling,” she continued.

The author of the official cabinet paper on the matter, former Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin stated that this is a controversial issue and that former Racing Minister Winston Peters had blocked its progress before the 2020 election.

“It was a meeting in his office, with his staff, where he explained that the timing was probably not the best,” said “That paper never found its way to Cabinet,” she said in an interview.

Filed Under: Articles, Gambling Articles

Pokies Power New Zealand’s rising gambling spend

April 1, 2022 by Admin

New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) recently reported that the country’s gambling industry has experienced positive results from the fiscal year. The department revealed a 17% year-on-year increase in gambling spend over the past year.

This rise in revenue is good news for the country as it means more money for the government and positive effects on the economy.

The DIA specified that the fiscal year 2020-21 saw national gambling spending of$2.63 billion, a 17% increase from the previous year and a five-year high for the nation.

Pokie Power

A large chunk of this intake is generated by pokies outside of area casinos. The Class 4 operations segment that encompasses clubs and bars increased its takings by 23% to $987 million. The TAB racing and sports betting segment also experienced improvement with its 1% increase resulting in $385 million.

Lotto products in the country took in $694 million, 10% more than the year before while casinos reported an overall increase of 11% with $559 million in revenue.

Mitigating Harm

The Problem Gambling Foundation Spokesperson, Andree Froude has framed this increase as problematic, saying that the average gambling spend per adult 18 years old or older comes to $662 a year, diverting money away from other more essential purchases.

The DIA has thrown its weight behind politicians calling for an overhaul of pokie legislation amid rising concerns that they pose a threat to society. This has not yet prompted the government to take more decisive action and direct more resources toward reviewing the current situation.

The DIA also recently initiated a review into gambling harm and how it could negatively affect the legal market. To this end, the government has requested feedback from public consultations regarding pokies, allowing consumers to weigh in on and potentially influence the matter. These consultations will launch on March 17 and run until April 28.

 

Filed Under: Articles, Gambling Articles

NZ government says a firm ‘no’ to facial recognition funding

March 25, 2022 by Admin

New Zealand’s gaming industry’s 2018 adoption of a facial recognition system was prompted by the Gambling Act 2003. The technology was developed via collaboration between COMS Systems and Torutek Holdings Limited and was being implemented on a test basis across selected venues.

The objective of this innovation was to identify problem gamblers and subsequently prevent them from entering gaming rooms.

The gaming machine association (GMA) recently petitioned the government for funding for the technology, as the cost involved was proving to be a barrier in establishing gambling harm-minimisation measures.

The GMA’s chairman, Peter Dengate Thrush, recently announced that the national Ministry of Health had declined to contribute towards the cost of facial recognition software for gaming machines. For its part, the government concluded that funding software licenses for gambling venues would be an improper action by the Ministry of Health.

Thrush explained these systems would be effective in the fight against problem gambling as they would notify venue owners of the presence of at-risk gamblers who should not be there. While the tech has been installed at many venues, more funding is required to ensure that it is implemented countrywide.

Thrush stated, “There are 148 facial recognition systems already installed in venues across New Zealand. The class 4 industry, the societies spent $3.5m themselves because they don’t want problem gamblers in their venues.”

He went on to explain that Ministry’s refusal to direct problem gambling funds towards Facial Recognition systems is a hindrance to the self-determination efforts of the country’s casino operators. The organization requested that the Ministry of Health pledge its unspent $1.5m technology fund to funding for software licensing.

Counter-Argument

The Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health advised via a Ministry spokesperson that it “would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Health to fund software licenses for gambling venues.”

The spokesperson elaborated, saying that the gaming venues had already received a commission payment of over 16% of gaming machine revenues to offset the operational costs of hosting gambling activities. She also said that this amount includes the price of meeting harm minimisation requirements.

The spokesperson added that the ministry has funded a database that stores photos securely in support of facial recognition systems, with venues allowed to access this data via their installed systems and stated that Pokie machine operators should cover the licensing software costs themselves.

Andree Froude, the Communications Director at the Problem Gambling Foundation supported this position, explaining that the pokie owners have a responsibility to their customers and, therefore, are obliged to absorb the cost of licensing.

Froude added, “The system at the moment often involves the person who is gambling providing a photo and then the venue making sure they are not entering the venue, so it is quite cumbersome.” She further cautioned that technology is too often seen as a cure-all for gambling problems.

​

Filed Under: Gambling Articles, NZ Casino news

NZ pokies review has ministerial backing

March 22, 2022 by Admin

Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti recently proclaimed that a review of Class 4 gambling machine regulations for harm minimisation will greatly benefit vulnerable communities.

The review is currently proceeding and seeks to diminish the amount of gambling harm experienced by some pokies users and the people they are close to.

Tinetti, who doubles as Labour’s List MP for Tauranga said,

“Pokies are known to be the most harmful form of land-based gambling in Aotearoa, and this review will target ways to reduce harm experienced by people who use pokies and those close to them. Harmful pokies gambling accounts for the majority of referrals to gambling treatment providers and for much of the second-hand gambling harm experienced by a gambler’s whānau and friends.”

According to data from the 2020 Health and Lifestyles Survey, close to 10% of New Zealanders play pokies and one in five of them can be classified as at-risk from gambling harm.

“The review will bring greater clarity around what venues need to recognise and manage at-risk gamblers, how pokie machine features can assist, and enforcement tools for non-compliance with gambling harm minimisation rules,” Tinetti continued.

Venue staff will be provided with tools and training to help them identify problematic gambling behaviour, and changes to certain machine features are planned, with the intent of discouraging continuous, harmful gambling.

Tinetti pointed out that gambling harm appears to be more prevalent among those in the least stable financial positions and who are likely experiencing significant life challenges. He mentioned the Māori and Pacific communities where gambling has led to debt, but financial hardship, family violence, and other social ills.

“We encourage any community or individual who wishes to get involved with the review to have their say, by providing feedback and ideas on the proposed changes. We have the chance to create serious change. Feedback from public consultation in addition to harm treatment providers, societies and gambling venues will help us create regulations informed by gamblers, their whānau and friends, and people who work with those experiencing harm,” the minister concluded.

The public consultation was launched on March 17 2022 and has a planned six-week run. Anyone interested in reading the public discussion document has been invited to head over to www.dia.govt.nz/reducingpokiesharm. The text has been made available as quick-read versions and in several languages.

If all goes according to Tinetti’s plans, a series of targeted harm minimisation regulations for pokies will be implemented by the first half of 2023.

Filed Under: Articles, Gambling Articles

GMANZ backs New Zealand’s push for reduced problem gambling

February 1, 2022 by Admin

New Zealand’s problem gambling levy budget looks set to receive a 26% increase ($16 million) over the next three years if a proposal by the country’s Ministry of Health is successful.

Once approved, the revised budget proposed by the Ministry would provide $76.12 million to the levy, an increase from the $60.24 million budget for 2019-2022. The budget increase would allow for the implementation of a de-stigmatization strategy alongside culture-specific programs for Asian, Pasifika, and Māori communities.

Half of this increase would be provided by the Gaming Machine Association of New Zealand’s (GMANZ) collected profits. While GMANZ is one of four contributors to the levy and fully supports any necessary increases, the association has recently questioned the effectiveness of the levy, with new statistics indicating that more needs to be done.

GMANZ’s director, Peter Thrush argued that the percentage of problem gamblers in the country has remained steady at 0.2% for the past 25 years, suggesting that the levy itself is not producing the results that it is supposed to.

Problematic Trends

While the latter part of 2020 saw an uptick in gambling spending, fewer than  65 000 people sought out problem gambling treatment provided by ministry-funded services over 2020-2021. Considering that as many as 92 000 people were estimated to be suffering from mild to severe forms of gambling harm, this number falls far below ideal levels.

Reports indicate that as many as 230 000 adults in New Zealand have experienced at least one form of gambling harm within their household over the past year. Over 4,300 families have been recorded as receiving treatment for problems linked to an individual’s gambling.

Andree Froude, speaking on behalf of the Problem Gambling Foundation, offered an alternative perspective, stating that the 0.2% figure is only representative of the most severely addicted gamblers in the country, while the actual number of adults dealing with problem gambling at any level is much higher and harder to quantify.

Thrush stated that the association is more than willing to no increase its contribution by $8 million and agrees that pokies should fund the levy more than lotteries, casinos, and other forms of gambling. He did add that the contribution increase would have to produce better results as GMANZ is of the current opinion that the money is “disappearing”.

Pokies currently share 1.3% of their profits towards the levy’s budget, while Lotteries, widely accepted as the most benign form of gambling, are only contributing 0.4%.

The walls have eyes

Thrush went on to state that the ministry should dedicate a portion of the levy’s funds to the installation of facial recognition systems in bars and other gaming machine venues. This $6 million investment would allow for the tracking of problem gamblers and self-excluded players, and the prevention of further harm.

He added that some marketing campaigns created by recipients of the levy have drawn criticism for their stigmatization player and that while the ministry does have a new proposal on the table, in his opinion,  it would be “more of the same”.

 

 

Filed Under: Articles, Gambling Articles

Westpac puts the squeeze on gambling-related credit card payments

November 23, 2021 by Admin

Major bank, Westpac has responded to the ongoing scourge of problem gambling with a punitive measure for customers using its credit cards for online gambling transactions

The bank has decided to charge higher interest on what it describes as “quasi cash” credit card payments, including transactions for Lotto, TAB and other online gambling services.

The bank levies a 22.95% interest for ‘cash advances’ on its Hotpoints Mastercard and has stated that from November 30​, all payments to gambling accounts, for cryptocurrency purchases will be categorised as cash advances. Assuming the cardholder does not clear their balance by their monthly payment date; all regular purchases performed with Westpac’s standard Mastercard will incur interest of 20.95​%.

The Problem Gambling Foundation responded to this measure, by calling for a review of existing gambling laws and for action similar to that taken by the British Gambling Commission that banned payments from credit cards to gambling companies outright.

This ban was imposed by the commission, following the publication of research that pointed to a significant percentage of problem gamblers using credit cards to fuel their addiction.

Andree Froude, a spokesperson for the Problem Gambling Foundation advised that online gambling numbers were on the increase and “obviously credit cards provide a means for them to do that when they don’t really have the money”.

“I think the move to ban credit cards would be a good one,” she asserted.

Froude added that The Gambling Act was almost 20 years old and that in the time since its creation, technological advances have left it sorely in need of an update.

She further stated that the Department of Internal Affairs had completed a review of online gambling a few years ago and that those results would be made available soon, accompanied by options for regulation.

A spokesperson from Westpac said that the majority of “quasi-cash transactions are used to fund online gambling.”

Not Enough

Froude mentioned that institutions like Westpac have a lot more work to do in the fight to empower gambling addicts with the tools to help themselves. She pointed to Kiwibank, which in April announced that it would offer voluntary credit card gambling blocks to problem gamblers. This is to help them stop gambling with borrowed funds and so far, 127 customers have requested the block, representing an average of $13 000 saved in gambling spend saved per year.

Kiwibank initiated this measure after noting a rise in online gambling harm over the Covid lockdowns.

While Westpac’s Australian operations offer similar voluntary measures to Kiwibank, its New Zealand subsidiaries do not.

Filed Under: Gambling Articles, NZ Casino news

Kiwibank reveals rise in demand for gambling block function

November 12, 2021 by Admin

Kiwibank’s initiative to offer customers the ability to block payments to online gambling websites has drawn praise from many quarters with other financial institutions being encouraged to follow its lead. The tool was created in collaboration with the Problem Gambling Foundation and has seen increasing interest from consumers.

With the Covid-19 pandemic came an increased interest in and engagement with online gambling in New Zealand. Gambling spending grew from around $4.1 million a week at the beginning of 2020 to $6.25m a week during the lockdown, according to the Ministry of Health’s data.

Kiwibank responded to this trend and the potential harms associated with it by being the first bank in the country to allow customers the option of blocking payments from their credit and debit cards to online gambling websites, after a successful pilot project in 2020.

Julia Jackson, the Kiwibank head of sustainability explained that the rise in activity during lockdown is a global phenomenon as people eased their boredom and stress with online gambling.

“As a bank, we started to think about what we could do meaningfully. We’re not counsellors, we can’t solve all of those problems. But we do have a unique insight into people’s spending behaviour,” she said.

The payment block is applied to merchant codes linked to gambling companies. Any online gambling transactions attempted with the customer’s card via these merchants will be immediately declined. The block can also be placed on additional cards and can be reversed at any time, following a two working day processing period.

Jackson remarked that the auto-save credit card payment function available on most online gambling websites allows individuals to overlook the amount they are actually spending on these activities.

“Eighty per cent of customers who have put the block in place have kept that block on. That’s now been seven or eight months of them not having the ability to gamble online,” she stated.

Kiwibank has reported that it has helped 127 customers side-step close to $13,000 each per year in gambling losses, which comes to about $1.7 million in total with over 200 customers requesting the function.

Jackson explained that customers need not worry about their future lending project if they choose to use this tool, saying,

“The benefit, ultimately, is we are supporting our customers to ensure that they are spending their money in a way that is promoting their long term wellbeing and helping them to get ahead. It ensures we have customers who are more financially resilient and more emotionally resilient as well, which is a great side outcome.”

 Banks Under Pressure

The banking industry at large has been urged to prioritise the safety and interests of customers in the wake of the Financial Markets Authority and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s joint review of the state of the country’s conduct and culture in 2018.

The Reserve Bank Governor, Adrian Orr, had commented at the time, saying,

“To promote a sound and efficient financial system, banks have a responsibility to ensure customers receive products and services they “understand.  These products and services must be suited to customers’ needs on an ongoing basis.”

Gambling counsellor Bonnie Lovich-Howitt spoke up for consumers, explaining that online gambling websites obstruct self-exclusion efforts.

“Our clients report gambling sites are like an octopus. One website will have an offer on other sites. Often unsolicited messages pop up, but we really don’t want them popping up when people are most vulnerable. I had a client who was doing really well, they hadn’t gambled in over a year, they were feeling really good, their relationship was back on track. And then they got an email from a random online gambling place. Basically, it said, you know, spend $1, and we’ll give you $100. But 40 hours later that harmless dollar cost them their whole paycheck,” she said.

Lovich-Howitt added that Kiwibank’s measure is an effective tool for individuals seeking to reduce their exposure to gambling harm and that she had urged the bank to ensure that the use of this measure would not negatively impact the customers’ ability to borrow money.

The counsellor made her final comment on the matter, saying.

“That’s crucial to the success of the block. They wouldn’t have as many people using it if customers were worried it would affect their lending. We need people to be confident to talk to the bank. ​​Offering services helps challenge the stigma associated with harmful gambling, and financial institutions have a responsibility, as gambling is directly related to money.

“I honestly hope and believe that it’s a trend that all others follow.”

Filed Under: Gambling Articles, NZ Casino news

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