Published
OnlineLand-BasedCasino

Problem gambling safety advocates concerned with Christchurch Casino online casino move

Christchurch Casino’s move to launch an online casino in Malta has disappointed problem gambling safety advocates in New Zealand.

christchurch casino

The new offshore subsidiary, to be known as Christchurchcasino.com Limited, is expected to launch before the end of the year. Chairperson Bruce Robertson said it would partner with a licensed international gaming company, with the decision coming amid the growth in online casinos at the expense of land-based casinos.

Only Lotto NZ and TAB are legally allowed to offer online gambling in New Zealand, but it is legal for New Zealanders to gamble on offshore websites. 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.

According to Thornley, the domain name would lead users to think it was a trustworthy New Zealand-based site, despite not being governed by New Zealand rules. She added that if people searched for the name of the casino online to find out about opening hours or events, it would lead them to the website.

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.”

It would not be the first time a New Zealand-based operator made a switch overseas, with SkyCity in 2019 also launching an online casino in Malta.

Premium+ Connections
Premium

GammaStack

 
 
Premium

1xBet Partners

 
Premium

Revsharks

 
Premium

Sport Generate

 
Premium

Galaxsys

 
Premium

RISK

 
Premium

Digitain

 
Premium

Lynon

 
Premium

PIN-UP Partners

 
Premium

Imagine Live

 
Premium Connections
Consultancy

SCCG Management

Executive Profiles
Zeal Network SE

Stefan Tweraser

VIP Play

Les Ottolenghi

Scientific Games

Keshav Pitani

Social & App

Spribe CEO exclusive: Simplicity is the foundation

Spribe CEO David Natroshvili speaks to Gambling Insider abou...

Redefining iGaming: A history of crash games

Crash games is a growing vertical that has taken gambling by...

A certain something: What makes crash games special?

Crash games. They’re simple, they’re easy to learn and,...

Smarter innovation to shape the future

Spribe CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze discusses the past, present a...

Facing Facts: The corner of quarterly contemplation

With Q1 reports out across the industry, Gambling Insider co...

Taking Stock: A guide to key stock prices across the industry

Gambling Insider tracks prices from some of the industry’s...

15 years of Gambling Insider: From the Founders

Over the last 15 years, Gambling Insider magazine has interv...

15 years of Gambling Insider: The Awards over time

Global Gaming Awards Event Manager Mariya Savova gives us he...