In 2010, the Gambling Harm Reduction bill was introduced, but got lost in the shuffle. Politicians have only just resumed legislating the bill after Sky City made a deal with Auckland to build a new convention centre in return for 500 new poker machines.

The new bill has the potential to jeopardize the Sky City convention centre deal, in addition to cutting funding for charities across the country. Many charities and not-for-profit organizations depend on the money generated by poker machines to pay for their operating costs, and reducing the number of machines will benefit problem gamblers but adversely affect their funding.

“It’s got the potential to impact the viability of all not-for-profit organisations,” says Dorothy Forbes of the SPCA in an interview with the Bay of Plenty Times. “Money is becoming shorter and trusts are finding it difficult to meet the demands.”

According to Peter Gardner, manager of Whangare’s Grand Hotel, poker machines are a crucial part of life in New Zealand. According to the Northern Advocate, he believes that they enrich the social fabric of the local community while encouraging players to stay away from other, and possibly more dangerous, forms of gambling.

He states that problem gambling has always existed in the country. In the 1980s, there were no poker machines but there was a gambling addiction problem in New Zealand. He claims that even if poker machines were to be removed or forced to impose wagering limits, problem gambling would continue to exist.

Gardner also believes that they are beneficial to society as their profits are put back into the community in the form of grants for medical, sports and educational organizations. Additionally, many clubs across the country depend on poker machines to produce customers; so, the contribute largely to the entertainment industry.

So – what do you think? Are pokies an integral part of life in New Zealand, or can we live without them?

It is certainly a unique theme for an online slots game, as it features robot pirates in space. Players embark on a journey with Captain Bronzebeard and his crew as they chase after Steel Scarlet’s, the hero’s dangerous wife.

As player’s progress through the game, they chase Steel Scarlet throughout space, coming upon new and exciting destinations. With each new destination, a new bonus game is triggered, so there is certainly no time to be bored when you’re playing the Great Galaxy Grab online. Players can save their progress, too, so they can pick up where they left off in the pursuit of Steel Scarlett.

Due to its unique format and innovative gameplay, the Great Galaxy Grab is a highly-recommended online slots game. Play it using your mobile phone or visiting your favourite Microgaming-powered online casino, such as Spin Palace.

This shows that there is a great interest in the New Zealand community to reduce the number of poker machines. While sinking lid policies seek to gradually reduce the harm done by the overabundance of pokies, the new bill would allow local politicians to reduce or eliminate pokies over the course of 12 months.

The introduction to of the bill seems to come at a misfortunate time for SkyCity, however. Despite the fact that casino pokies would not be covered by the bill, its introduction casts a negative light on poker machines. As SkyCity currently fights for the right to install 500 new machines in its Auckland location, this is certainly not the kind of press that the casino operator is looking for.

The amendment would allow the general public to have more say about the number of poker machines in their communities. Whereas the decision was previously left up to city councillors and politicians alone, the new law could see the community getting more involved in these matters.

The proposed law comes as a response to the growing concern about the amount of money that poker machines sap from poverty-stricken areas. Community members want to reduce the number of pokies in those areas, but can’t do anything about it. If this bill passes, then things will change.

Should the proposed law be passed as legislation, it would also mean that the Sky City deal will be jeopardized. Members of the general public who are opposed to the plan will be able to have their voices heard, which could ultimately mean a reduction in the number of pokies at Sky City Auckland.

Players are initially awarded a 1 million-coin balance. While this may seem excessive, the minimum amount to wager on slots is 500 coins. As players progress throughout the levels of the casino, they can access more expensive wagering options and trigger progressive jackpots.

DoubleDown Casino does a fantastic job of marrying the best aspects of social gaming with the best aspects of online gambling. While players can choose from video poker, traditional poker and table games, they can also earn levels by obtaining achievements and maximizing their winnings. It is also possible to post progress on your Facebook wall and use the social network to engage your friends in activities with you.

DoubleDown Casino is currently the world’s biggest free-to-play online casino. It is offered as a stand-alone platform and via Facebook games, and we highly recommend it.

Now, you can play Aristocrat’s popular 50 Dragons slot machine online at a select few internet gambling websites. It is based on the same format as 50 Lions, another Aristocrat slot machine with 50 paylines. While most of the company’s games have less than 30 paylines, 50 Lions presents players with even more chances to win big while they spin the reels.

In addition to offering up a generous grand prize, 50 Dragons also provides players with the chance to win lucrative bonus prizes. Should three scatter symbols (the gold ingot) appear on the reels, then the player is awarded 10 free spins. Extra wild symbols are added to the reels during this round, so players are given even more chances to win and retrigger their free spins.

You can find 50 Dragons at an Aristocrat-powered online casino, so be sure to try it out; you’re in for an exciting online gaming experience!

According to recent reports, Apple is in the lead in the mobile gambling market. With 84% of the marketshare, the company is beating out Android by miles. Towards the end of last year, there was some buzz that Android would overtake Apple, but that has not been the case. Apple is still going strong, thanks to the introduction of its new iOS and Apple iPad.

When it comes to gaming on Apple, the company is even seeing an increase in paying customers. Previously, developers depended on ad revenue, but that is no longer the case on Apple devices, as players are now spending money on the actual download of apps. As such, paying players have increased by 35% over 37 million.

Android’s number of paying players fails to match Apple’s, as the company does not offer the same automated payment system. In Apple’s marketplace, players must supply their payment info when the first visit, making it much more convenient for players to purchase apps.

A report was released by Sky City Auckland, outlining the number of Sky City players found to exhibit addictive gambling behaviour. In 2008, the number was 661 but 2011 was numbers increase to an astounding 2582.

While the number of problem gamblers has risen over the past three years, the casino operator’s efforts to help them have not done the same. The number of excluded gamblers has only increased by 27%.

Sky City claims to be working hard to inform its employees about problem gambling behaviour, but it simply does not seem to be enough. According to one problem gambler, he had joined the self-exclusion program but was allowed to return on several occasions.

The casino operator will need to step up its efforts to dealing with gambling addiction if it wants to improve its reputation. However, the casino has yet to comment on these shocking numbers.

The four games that are part of the ‘InterHeroes Assemble’ promotion are Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and Thor – the four main Avengers. By playing each of these four games, you earn comp points that will move you up in the leaderboard. By the end of each promotional period (May 9th and May 27th), the winners are determined by the number of comp points they have.

Players can also earn double the comp points by playing the featured games. During this promotional period, the featured games are Thor and Captain America. On May 10th, they are likely to switch to The Hulk and Iron Man.

For the first promotional period, top prize is $1000 while second and third are $500 and $300, respectively. For the second promotional period, top prize is $12000 while second and third are $600 and $400 respectively. So, there are some fantastic cash prizes to be won.