The meeting has been organized by The Greens, who have invited city councillors, gambling experts and health professionals. The political party would like to obtain opinions from many different members of the community, since neither Sky City nor Premier John Key addressed the general public when negotiating the deal.

The Greens are most concerned about the license extension that SkyCity has been granted. In return for building the convention centre, the casino will have its license extended from 2021 to 2048. For the next 35 years, Sky City has received unconditional approval to operator in Auckland, and The Greens believe that this is an irresponsible decision.

“To guarantee 35 years out that this legislation is to be set in stone for that length of time is wrong,” says Labour leader David Shearer. “That is reckless, outrageous that Government hands in the future will be tied to this deal.”

Ever since the deal was announced, The Greens have been opposed to it. Members of the political party criticised the way in which key information was kept from the public and how the local government carried out negotiations behind closed doors. When a decision of this size is made, it is important for the community to be consulted – but that never happened. Now, The Greens are giving members of the general public the chance to weigh in.

Ever since Nevada announced the launch of its online gambling market, gaming operators around the world have been scrambling to enter the American online gambling market. It presents a lucrative opportunity for casino operators, as there a millions of potential players across the country. While countries across Europe present high populations of gamblers, America is an untapped market with huge potential.

The license has been granted to Aristocrat’s joint venture with Amaya Gaming. Together, the two companies will provide online poker services to Nevada residents. The service offered will be part of the On Game network, a highly successful online poker platform. Real-money and play-money games will both be available.

Aristocrat has been building a positive reputation in Nevada for quite some time. Last summer, the company was granted approval to install cashless gambling systems on its machines across the state. The deal provided Aristocrat with the opportunity to grow its presence in Nevada, and it has certainly paid off. Over the course of the past few months, Aristocrat has proven that it is a reputable provider offering high-quality gambling services. Its existing presence in Nevada has almost certainly influenced the state’s decision to grant Aristocrat an online gambling license.

Aristocrat is the 22nd international operator to obtain an online gambling license in Nevada. There is no word yet on when exactly services will commence, but all licensed operators are eager to get started in one of the world’s burgeoning gaming markets.

This week, councillors from New Plymouth District rejected over 200 submissions that supported the introduction of a sinking lid policy in North Taranaki. 234 residents and business owners made submissions in support of the legislation, but local councillors did not feel that it would be the best course of action.

The councillors stated that there was little proof that a sinking lid policy would result in lower problem gambling rates. Since there was little evidence of the effectiveness of the policy, councillors were reluctant to spend the $10 000 it would cost to have the policy undergo public consultation.

However, the councillors have taken some action against rising problem gambling rates. They decided to decrease the poker machine cap, so that fewer pokies would be allowed in the community. The cap has been reduced from 389 to 369.

During the submission process, Sport Taranaki requested that the cap be left as is. Currently, pokies generate $2 million for sports clubs across the area every year, and reducing the cap would cut into that funding.

“Like it or not, funding from gaming plays a huge part in the modern sporting environment of New Zealand,” said Ross Fulton, general manager of Sport Taranaki.

Fortunately, the council decided that it would be best to reduce the cap. The hope is that problem gamblers will be deterred from spending money if there are not enough poker machines available. This method has been successful in other areas, and local councillors hope that they will see the same effect.

Dalton was found guilty of 271 counts of fraud. She had submitted 271 applications for emergency funding on behalf of victims of domestic abuse. The total of all the applications was more than $100 000, and she applied for amounts of up to $500 at a time. The money was supposed to be allocated to individuals who needed to escape from their abusive partners, but Dalton spent the money on her gambling addiction.

Her defense lawyer, John Lyons, claimed that her gambling addiction developed as a result of stress. Her job required her to deal with aggressive and violent individuals on a daily basis, and she viewed gambling as a way to escape the harsh reality of her profession.

“On many occasions she had to deal with aggressive, violent and abusive members of the public,” he said.

According to Lyons, Dalton was faced with death threats regularly. One man stated that he would shoot her down after she left work while another threatened to stab her. On a regular basis, she had to be escorted to and from work by the police.

The stress of the job led to the development of depression, and Dalton turned to gambling to numb the pain. Many gambling addicts use playing pokies as a form of escapism, but it was not a good enough excuse for the court. Dalton was found guilty of all 271 counts of falsifying documents. The prosecutor will make his sentencing submissions by July 31st.

This is yet another occasion that proves the dangers of gambling addiction. On many occasions, individuals steal from friends, family and coworkers to fund their addictions – but Dalton stole from people in need. There is certainly the need to enforce stricter safeguards on government funding, and improved gambling addiction programs.

The Victorian government cancelled TabCorp’s gaming contract, which consisted of a duopoly with Tatts Group, 46 days into the financial year. As such, the group should not have been required to pay the full Health Benefit – if any of it at all.

For years, TabCorp and Tatts Group operated all of the poker machines in Victoria. Last year, the local government decided that it would be best to disband the duopoly and allow the owners of the pokies to operate the games. The two companies conceded defeat and did not fight the decision. Now, they have become outraged that the Victorian government has insisted on charging them for the full health benefit.

Tatts Group originally stated that it did not want to take legal action. The company, which is facing a similar charge, wanted to open up a dialogue with the government before going to court. Apparently, TabCorp is not as patient. According to Treasurer Michael O’Brien, the first instalment of the levy is due on May 31st, and it is worth $31 million. TabCorp hopes to comes to a solution before the due date.

While TabCorp prepares to go to court, Tatts Group has yet to take any action. The company has yet to announce its plans for fighting the Health Benefit charge.

Due to the gaming law changes, the Victorian government expects to earn $1.154 billion in gaming taxes. This would mark an impressive 7% increase on last year’s earnings.

Mirage Secret Gardens comes to you from PlayStudios and MGM Resorts International. Together, the two companies have created a social gaming app called MyVegas, which allows players to build their own Las Vegas strips and furnish their own luxury casino suites. Players earn points in the game by playing slots games based on MGM casinos in the City of Sin.

Luxor, Excalibur and Mirage are three casinos that are featured in the application. Each casino is featured in an online pokie game that evokes the feel and look of the venue. It is quite an interesting concept for an online casino game, and plenty of players are flocking to the app to give it a try. Each game features bright and vibrant graphics, and they come equipped with fun and exciting bonus rounds.

There are 500 000 players on the MyVegas application, and the fan page has 1.2 million likes. As such, it is one of the smaller social casino applications in the Facebook world, but it is gaining steam.

MyVegas’ major selling point is the fact that players can earn generous Las Vegas rewards by playing. Room discounts, free meals and shopping vouchers are just a few of the great rewards you can earn by playing Mirage Secret Garden pokies on the MyVegas application. This is the first application of its kind to offer land-based casino rewards, and this unique innovation is a great offering for dedicated casino goers.

IGT’s Star Trek pokie is one of the company’s most popular games. Released online as well as in land-based pokie venues, the game appeals to all types of players. Committed pokie buffs as well as casual gamers enjoy the title – and now, social casino players have their chance to try this exciting online poker machine.

There are four unique bonus rounds, each based on a different character from the film. Captain Kirk and Spock award generous free spins while Uhura and Scotty offer scatters and multipliers. With many different bonus features, Star Trek pokies are able to keep players entertained for hours. As such, it is the perfect addition to Double Double Casino’s Facebook application.

“The launch of Star Trek on both desktop and mobile devices demonstrates IGT’s ability to seamlessly deploy content for online social casino players who demand a Vegas experience wherever they go,” says John Clelland of IGT Interactive.

The game is available on mobile devices as well as on the online application. So, players can access Star Trek pokies from virtually anywhere. Players also need not worry about depositing cash, because the game is free to play. All new players to Double Down Casino receive an additional 1 million credits, so they can get a head start playing Star Trek pokies and other great IGT-powered games.

If you’re more interested in real-money pokies, IGT has also recently released a new Star Trek pokie called Against All Odds. This game offers players the chance to win real cash jackpots, and is available at a wide range of online casinos and land-based gambling venues.

A recent poll showed that the majority of Auckland residents are against adding new pokies to the city. Of the 500 residents that were interviewed 74.8% supported a reduction in the number of poker machines in Auckland. Less than 1% said that they would like to see more pokies and 12.8% were undecided.

These statistics back the recent submission that local residents made to the Auckland City Council. Last month, over 10 000submissions were made in support of a sinking lid policy. Despite the support for the policy, Prime Minister John Key and Sky City continued to negotiate adding new pokies to Auckland’s biggest casino in return for the gambling operator building the city’s new convention centre.

“Not only did 10,258 people and organisations (99% of submissions) submit to Council in favour of a ‘sinking lid’ on pokies, but this poll shows that Aucklanders overwhelmingly support a ‘sinking lid’ policy,” says Tony Milne, National Manager of Public Health for the Problem Gambling Foundation. “We are encouraging the Council to listen to this result, say no to more pokies and choose a healthier future for our children”.

The results of the poll were presented the Auckland Council’s gambling review hearing. Members of the public were also in attendance, ensuring that they made their voices heard with regards to imposing a new sinking lid policy in Auckland. Local residents truly believe that having fewer pokies in the city will discourage problem gambling rates from rising, and they will continue to fight for this cause.

Players can enter into the competition simply by depositing cash at the online casino. For every $500 they deposit, they win one entry into the draw. $2000 awards four entries and $5000 awards ten entries.

If $500 to $5000 sounds like a lot of money, you’re in luck. You have until August 12th, 2013 to earn your entries, so you can take 12 weeks to deposit the necessary funds. You can also accumulate as many entries as you want between now and the deadline. The more entries you earn, the better your chances of winning – and there is plenty of time to earn them.

The winner of the promotion will be drawn on September 2nd, 2013. The winner of the prize must take their cruise within four months of claiming it. The prize includes all expense, including port charges, accommodation, meals and entertainment.

The Diamond Princess will take the winner on a 8-day tour of New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania. It is one of the biggest cruise ships in existence, and offers a wide range of entertainment, gourmet food and beautiful views. There are a number of fantastic amenities, including spas, fitness centres, a theatre, an art gallery, a casino and a disco.

A trip on this beautiful cruise would normally cost tens of thousands of dollars, but players at Grand Reef online casino can potentially earn their ticket on board simply by depositing $500. It certainly is great value, and we’d highly recommend taking advantage of this generous promotion over the course of the summer.

Visit Grand Reef for more information.

The deal has come under fire many times, and there was doubt that it would ever come to fruition. Over the course of the past year, Sky City and Prime Minister John Key have been criticized for keeping the details of the deal quiet. The Auditor General was even called in to confirm the legitimacy of the deal.

Now, those difficulties are a distant memory. Sky City is the official builder of Auckland’s new convention centre. Although the cost was originally estimated at $350 million, Sky City will be shelling out $402 million to build the venue. $315 million will be spent on construction and $87 million will go towards land costs.

The convention centre will be greatly beneficial for the city of Auckland. It is estimated that the venue will bring in 33 000 convention delegates every year, boosting the local tourism industry. The convention centre will also create 1000 construction jobs and 800 jobs once the centre is open for business.

“This will make us more competitive on the international stage,” says Sky City head Nigel Morrison. “It will allow the company to provide the facilities and services that our interstate and international guests expect.”

In return for making such a significant investment, Sky City will reap some huge benefits. In addition to obtaining 230 new pokies and 40 new table games, the operator’s gambling license has also been extended. Originally, the license was set to expire in 2021. Now, SkyCity Auckland can operate until at least 2042.