Last week, religious leader Rajan Zed spoke out against an online pokie called Shiva from Gauselmann and Merkur Gaming. Maintaining that the Hindu god should not be used to promote gambling, he requested that the game be pulled from online casinos. Now, religious leaders from other sects have come forward to support the cause.
Shiva is a five-reel 50-payline online pokie which depicts the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The game features symbols that are associated with Hindu and Indian culture, such as elephants and the Taj Mahal.
Rajan Zed, a well-known Hindu religious leader, is against the game. He states that it is disrespectful to depict a religious figure in the promotion of gambling activities, and has demanded that the software developer pull the game.
Another religious leader has shown his support, as Reverend Richard L. Smith of the United Church of Christ also spoke out about the Shiva online pokie game. Buddhist leader Jikai' Phil Bryan and Jewish Rabbi Elizabeth W. Beyer have also demanded that the game be pulled.
"I support the protests of Hindus who are offended by the name and image of the god Shiva being used to promote gaming machines," says Reverend Smith. "As I recall, it was the Roman soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ clothing, so I would be likewise offended if his name were to be attached to such a product”.
This is not the first time a gaming company has gotten in trouble for depicting a god. PlayTech’s Lakshmi’s Gold was also criticised shortly after it was released in 2012. It did not take long for the company to pull the game, but it seems that Merkur Gaming and Gauselmann are taking them time to respond.
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