Industry News
Three Gambling Ways for NZ Government

Online gambling is one of the most common pass-time activities in New Zealand. There are numerous casino sites that accept punters to access different games and win real money.
Recently, the NZ government launched a public consultation to test public support for regulating modern ways of online gambling. This comes as a result of the rapid technological developments that have been witnessed in the past years. The only operators allowed to offer gambling products online in the country are Lotto NZ and TAB.
However, it’s been noted that most New Zealanders from 15 years are gambling in offshore casinos. This article covers the three gambling ways for the New Zealand government and more.
#1 Way: A Full Legalization
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) was established in 2007 to oversee all forms of gambling and betting activities. Also, they are mandated to ensure that gambling is carried out in a fair and transparent way. Similarly, Spelinspektionen plays the same role in regulating gambling activities in Sweden.
Pros:
- Anti-Money Laundering: They ensure that online casinos are not used for money laundering. All casino operators must conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) check before releasing any money.
- Transparent and Fair Gaming: All customers must be treated in a fair and transparent way. The bonuses and promotions offered must have terms and conditions to regulate their use.
- Responsible Gambling: All gambling sites including bookmakers and New Zealand online casinos must provide tools and advice to ensure that customers enjoy a safe gaming environment. Gamers with problem gambling can also self-exclude by registering at GamStop or Spelpaus.se.
Cons:
- Application Time: Both licensing authorities have lengthy legal procedures to be followed, meaning the license will take several weeks or months before its ready to use.Â
- License Cost: The cost of acquiring a license from both authorities is relatively high. They check to ensure that the operator has not been involved in any fraud cases, and the casino account has enough money to start operating.
#2 Way: Partly Legalization
Each is allowed to decide whether or not to legalize sports betting in the United States of America. The move legalizes sports betting has been supported by various state lawmakers as well as the Congress. Some of the states where betting on sports is allowed include but not limited to Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, and others.
Pros:
- Increased Revenue: Legalizing sports betting leads to increased revenue income
- Employment: online sports betting sites have created employment for many people as well as sponsoring different community projects.
Cons:
- High License Fee: Some states charge a very high licensing fee of up to $45,000
- High Percentage Tax: States in the US set a high percentage tax on the revenue of up to 6.5%.
#3 Way: Gambling Monopoly
Several countries around the world like Finland and Canada have state-controlled forms of gambling: both offline and online. For instance, in Finland, there are three bodies responsible for a specific form of gaming; RAY, Veikkaus Oy, and Fintoto Oy. In Canada, the province of Ontario still works under a monopoly system, where the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is the official operator offering iGaming through PlayOGA.ca.Â
However, most states controlled sports betting sites are facing competition from foreign operators. That’s why the governments have decided to block oversee operators from providing services to their citizens.
Pros:
- Successful: State-controlled gambling states have been very successful, and it’s reflected in their annual revenue.
- Donations: Most state-run gambling monopoly platforms channel their profits to charity and other good causes.
Cons:
- High Rate of Problem Gambling: There have been increased cases of gambling addiction in most states with monopolized gambling.
- Competition: State-controlled monopoly gambling sites are facing stiff competition from foreign online casinos.Â
Conclusion
What’s the best way to choose? Now that we have seen what the position of each country regarding gambling organizations, it’s easy to suggest the best option to select. Of the three options, I think the method used in the United Kingdom and Sweden is way better than the other. Legalization is not just making money from taxes but also security and safety for players.Â
Industry News
IGSA Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) is celebrating 25 years of its role in support of gaming industry standards.
IGSA president Peter DeRaedt said: “In addition to the many champions and pioneers of our technical standards, we’re also proud and honoured to have featured a keynote video by Trevor Croker, CEO of Aristocrat Leisure, a founding IGSA member, and this week to feature a keynote video address by Rich Schneider, chief product officer of Light & Wonder and another 25-year IGSA member.”
Mark Pace, vice-president of the IGSA, said: “It has been great to see the congratulations and well wishes come in from all over the world from our current and former members, friends and colleagues.
“These companies have joined in celebrating IGSA’s 25-year anniversary through video messages that we have posted on our social media channels and website.
“We invite all our current and past members to join us at our annual meeting celebration and get-together at Canaletto in the Palazzo on October 10 while you’re at G2E.”
Industry News
Wazdan Celebrates Success at This Year’s CasinoBeats Summit

Wazdan, the innovative games provider, has returned after celebrating a year of success and growth at this year’s CasinoBeats Summit.
Taken place between the 23rd and 25th May, over 3000 of the industry’s most prominent leaders, creators and experts headed to Malta’s InterContinental Hotel for the fifth edition of the renowned event.
The CasinoBeats Summit allows providers to showcase their latest games and technologies, with expert-led panels and networking events also providing business and education opportunities.
Wazdan’s Account Management and Marketing teams were in attendance, sponsoring the CasinoBeats Boat Trip on the summit’s first day with many people from the industry coming to relax, connect and have fun.
The slots supplier was also one of the sponsors of the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards, in which it was shortlisted in four categories: Game Mechanic of the Year 2023, Game Feature of the Year 2023, Slot of the Year 2023, and Game Innovation Spotlight Award and Wazdan ended the event with an award in the Game Feature of the Year 2023 category.
Magdalena Wojdyla, Head of Account Management for Europe at Wazdan said: “Wazdan always has a fantastic time attending the CasinoBeats Summit, and this year was no exception! We embrace being able to connect with other professionals and learn from them, whilst also looking ahead to the future.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the Summit this year and want to thank CasinoBeats for how well the entire event was organised – we hope to return to Malta next year for three more days of fun.”
Industry News
Former iGaming Director Unveils Holistic Wellbeing Platform for the Gaming industry

HabitRewire, an industry leader in health and wellbeing for the iGaming sector, announced the debut of its innovative iGaming wellbeing platform. The turnkey white-label wellbeing solution can be accessed at any time, anywhere via a user-friendly app, helping employees across the world improve their wellbeing 24/7, inside and outside the workplace.
Presented as a ready-to-use white-label solution that can be branded as the company’s own, it offers an holistic, wide-ranging, and result-driven wellbeing solution that can be instantly deployed.
The platform draws upon HabitRewire’s ‘Habit Rewiring’ methodology, which is backed by robust scientific evidence. This innovative method is engineered to stimulate sustainable behavioural change, helping employees use daily practices to build the skills and habits to improve their physical health, mental wellbeing, and workplace productivity.
“True health and wellness stretch beyond diet and exercise,” affirmed Leo Judkins, Founder of HabitRewire. “Our platform delivers personalised, comprehensive wellbeing interactions across nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, time management and productivity to help employees reach their goals efficiently and effectively, wherever they are.”
The uniqueness of HabitRewire’s platform lies in its CRM capabilities and unique focus on the iGaming industry, reflecting Judkins’ rich, 12-year experience as a CRM Director in the field. His extensive knowledge from developing marketing automation platforms and managing global marketing teams, combined with personal journey of losing 35kg has directly influenced the creation of the HabitRewire platform.
“We use behavioural data, customer segmentation, and automated lifecycle campaigns to create personalised interactions throughout the employees entire wellbeing journey. From the initial stages of activation, onboarding and engagement, right through to retention and reactivation phases.” Judkins noted.
HabitRewire’s platform incorporates an various features such as weekly challenges, daily check-ins, community chats for peer-to-peer encouragement, leaderboards, workouts, recipe books and lifestyle guides.
Designed with the modern workforce in mind, the platform provides employee with a personalised dashboard that includes training advice, nutrition tips, and recovery strategies. The app allows users to schedule coaching calls with a team of experts that includes certified nutritionists, online personal trainers, sleep coaches, stress management professionals, and behaviour change specialists. Additionally, users can track their progress in real-time and sync their data with wearables and services like Apple Health.
“Most wellbeing solutions aren’t accessible for the employees who need it the most. They simply don’t have the time or energy to participate, which a key part of the problem. Our objective is to help people achieve their health and wellbeing goals, no matter where they are in their journey or what’s going on in their life right now” stated Judkins.
HabitRewire’s innovative platform signifies the shift towards proactive and individual care in the workplace, delivering wellbeing solutions directly to employees’ fingertips, no matter if they work from home or from an office.
Companies using HabitRewire’s platform can expect enhanced performance, increased productivity, and a significantly improved working environment. All quantified in weekly management reports that show measurable results.
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