New Zealand to amend online gambling bill to increase proposed gaming duty

The amended bill will assign a portion of revenue to community programmes.

New Zealand.-  Brooke van Velden, New Zealand’s minister of internal affairs, has confirmed that the government will amend the proposed Online Casino Gambling Bill to return a share of online casino revenue to community programmes. The minister said the coalition will increase offshore gambling duty from the proposed 12 per cent to 16 per cent, with the difference going to community support.

The development follows criticism that the bill lacked provisions for licensed online casinos to give back to the community. Van Velden said: “The message from communities was loud and clear – if we’re regulating online gambling, they want to see benefits flow back to local sports clubs, community groups, and grassroots organisations.”

Van Velden noted that cabinet has agreed to a two-year review of the community returns policy, given the difficulty in estimating the impact the new law will have on existing Class 4 (gaming machine) tax revenue. She added: “This evidence-based review will inform necessary adjustments, allowing us to make informed policy decisions based on real-world data in the future. This is new money on top of existing funding from pokies, Lotto, and TAB. We’re not taking anything away – we’re adding to what’s already there.”

The proposed online casino gambling legislation, currently being reviewed by Select Committee, aims to regulate and license up to 15 offshore casino operators in New Zealand. Labour opposes the measure, which it says lacks a strong plan for harm reduction.

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The amended bill will assign a portion of revenue to community programmes. New Zealand.-  Brooke van Velden, New Zealand’s minister of internal affairs, has confirmed that the government will amend…