A new bill, introduced by New Zealand's Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, aimed at regulating online gambling, has passed first reading in the country's...
Online gambling bill could cost New Zealand sports companies NZ$150m
More than 50 sports companies in New Zealand oppose the Online Casino Gambling Bill, which could remove more than NZ$150 million from community sport funding.
The legislation was introduced by Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden and would create a licensing system for up to 15 online casino operators. But more than 50 companies, including representatives from rugby, football, and cricket, are concerned that the newly-licensed operators won’t be obliged to contribute back to the community. This is in contrast to the existing arrangement, with around NZ$170 million of gaming trust revenue from pokies machines diverted to amateur sport each year.
In July, Members of Parliament voted 83-39 in favor of the online gambling bill during its first reading in Parliament.
Cycling New Zealand Chair Martin Snedden believes there should have been greater consultation before the legislation was introduced.
He said:
“This is a crazy move by the Government. Sport has thrived for decades off the back of community gambling grants. It all goes to clubs, not professional sport.
The Government should be saying to the international operators, you are going to be contributing if you want to operate in New Zealand. Part of the reason you’re allowed to do so is that part of your money is going to be going into the community, and that’s a good thing.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Sport, Mark Mitchell, the Associate Minister of Sport, Chris Bishop, they all love sport dearly. I’m sure they’re not going to allow something to go through that is ultimately going to have a dramatic negative impact on the future of community sport.”
The bill will now advance to the Governance and Administration Committee. The following stage would be a second reading in Parliament, before being sent to the Committee of the Whole House.
New Zealand proposed 15 licenses for online casino operators through an auction, as the new legislation aims to limit online sports betting to a single legal operator.The...
