This week, Michael William Laiman has been convicted of stealing money from poker machines at his bar. The 53-year-old bar manager pleaded not guilty to having stolen the money but Judge John McDonald ruled against him. In April 2012, Mr Laiman was the manager of the Legends Sports Bar.
He was in charge of putting each week’s poker machine profits into the Lion Foundation’s bank account, but failed to do so on one particular occasion. That week, the venue’s poker machines generated $3433.22, and the money should have gone to the Lion Foundation. Instead, Mr Laiman used the money to pay his own bills. The Lion Foundation distributes pokie profits to community groups across New Zealand.
Over the years, the organization has donated $600 million to local good causes. The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Eastern Helicopter Rescue, Youth Line, Auckland Coast Guard and the St John Ambulance are just a few of the organizations that have received pokie grants from the Lion Foundation.
“Stealing pokie money is actually taking money away from the organisations that support our communities,” says Debbie Despard, the Gambling Compliance Director for the Department of Internal Affairs. “We monitor all gaming machines in pubs and clubs to ensure that takings are properly accounted for and we are pleased that we have been able to hold this person accountable under the law”.
Although the venue was placed in voluntary liquidation, the pokie profits still belonged to the community. Essentially, Mr. Laiman had stolen thousands of dollars from arts, education and health programs across the country. Mr Laiman was found guilty on one charge of ‘theft by a person in a special relationship’. He has been fined $1000.
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