Last year, Auckland Mayor Len Brown admitted to accepting a $15 000 electoral donation from SkyCity. He faced a great deal of backlash for his actions and he has decided to go about things differently this time around. According to the National Business Review, Mayor Brown will not be accepting any money from SkyCity this year. Last year, the mayor’s decision to accept funds from the operator was scandalous enough.

If he were to do the same thing this year, he would face even more criticism from local residents and politicians due to the fact that SkyCity is in the process of negotiating the terms of its convention centre deal. Since the company could potentially build Auckland’s new $350 million venue, Mayor Brown states that it is “probably inappropriate” to accept any donations from the casino operator.

The New Zealand Problem Gambling Foundation backs the mayor’s decision. Members of the organization feel that it his refusal to accept donations from SkyCity leaves little room for any speculation that there is any wrongdoing taking place.

"We do not believe Mr Brown would be influenced by such a donation, but by not accepting a donation from SkyCity there can be no question of inappropriate influence," says Graeme Ramsey, chief executive of the Problem Gambling Foundation. Recently, the SkyCity convention centre deal has come under fire, as the Auditor General revealed that Prime Minister John Key gave the casino operator an unfair advantage in the tender process.

Many politicians would like to see the deal disbanded, but Len Brown has stood by the agreement. He believes that the convention centre will create thousands of jobs and boost the economy. He has also extolled the benefits of poker machines, claiming that they contribute a great deal of valuable revenue to the local community.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.