There are more than thirteen offshore gambling and casinos websites that are using a New Zealand website address, with one of them using the NZ Coat of Arms. Although the sites have their websites ending with .nz, reports show that they are not running their operations within the borders of New Zealand, and they are not subject to the stringent gambling laws and regulations of New Zealand. According to the rules and regulations of New Zealand, only TAB and Lotto have the permission and approval to run online gambling operations and offer online gambling products in New Zealand. One major part of the Approval depends on a requirement that obligates them to return a part of the earnings that they earn, to community groups.
New Zealand’s DIA Believes Criminal Organization Run These Websites
The DIA (Department for Internal Affairs) strongly believes that these offshore websites and operators are illegally cashing in on the brand new well-regulated online gambling market. The DIA also believes that criminal organizations are behind the operation of such websites. They have contacted the hosting service providers of these websites in a chance to remove these websites, according to the statement by Chris Thornborough, the Director of Regulatory Systems and Gambling of the DIA.
He also added that even one of these sites in question dared to use the official Coat of Arms of the New Zealand government. They believe that they used the Coat of Arms to suggest to players some formal connections with the government of New Zealand and the local gambling regulations and laws. Chris Thornborough also added that the DIA has some suspicions that one of these sites runs its operations within New Zealand, and if that is true, that means that there will be severe legal implications. As for the other sites that run their services from offshore locations, there is not much that the DIA can do more than asking to remove the Coat of Arms and suggest to the hosting providers to remove such sites.
Why is the DIA trying to take action?
According to the laws, it is not illegal for New Zealanders to gamble on these websites, which run their operations from offshore locations. On the other hand, the DIA worries about the safety of the players who choose to place bets on these casinos. The DIA explains that the operations can run from unregulated locations, and they can cheat players out of their money, or use the contact to try to hack and steal their identities. The DIA also added that these operators might be running websites that have zero chance of winning for the punters. On the contrary, the Lotto of New Zealand operates under strict laws and rules that ensure that every New Zealand player has an equal chance of winning. A recent official Information Request by a member of the public to the NZLC (New Zealand Lotteries Commission) through the FYI website shows the level of regulations that are involved in ensuring that even the balls are free from any tamper or defect that would cause any skewing in the results.
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