SkyCity’s Auckland casino has agreed to close for nearly a week after breaching its harm minimisation obligations after a gambler spent a total of $1 million.
Ironically, the five-day closure follows Gambling Harm Awareness Week.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) said the casino had agreed to a five-day voluntary closure after breaches of their harm minimisation obligations.
The DIA is the primary regulator of gambling in New Zealand and it said the closure servef as a reminder for all gambling licence holders.
The DIA said the licence was a privilege that came with a responsibility to minimise gambling-related harm and ensure the safety and wellbeing of customers.
This included monitoring for long and continuous periods by customers as a failure to intervene could lead to significant harm to both individuals and communities.
“Taking this kind of enforcement action isn’t our preference. We would rather see hosts meeting their responsibilities in the first instance,” DIA. gambling director Vicki Scott said.
“However, we will take strong action where breaches have occurred to support the prevention of gambling-related harm in New Zealand.”
RNZ reported in July that the breach of the Gambling Act occurred between 2017 and 2021.
A gambler at the casino spent more than nine hours on the pokies without any interaction with staff, and there were 23 instances of this happening where the gambler played uninterrupted for several hours.
In total the person gambled more than $1 million which the Department of Internal Affairs said had a real impact on their life.
SkyCity apologised and acknowledged its failings and said the closure would impact its earnings by $5 million.
Here is a list of services if you or a loved one needs support with a gambling problem, or are worried you might be developing a gambling problem:
