Gambling Reform Needed More Than Ever – The Facts Are Overwhelming!

Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation first exposed us to how truly insidious pokies really are – opening our eyes to the extent of corruption that keeps these addiction machines in circulation whilst actively growing their numbers and the number of regular players.
These players are the future addicts and contributors to the almost $5 billion a year that the Australian Government makes from Gambling tax and related revenue.

stop the con and support gambling reform and pokie reform to improve the lives of all Australians

And as the stats continue to break new records and put Australia on top of the biggest losers pile the evidence for a need for gambling reform grows exponentially. In fact this article posted yesterday on RSLPokies.com reveals how Australia have smashed all previous records, losing a record $23 billion in the last financial year – check out the article HERE

Australians Lose More Per Capita Than Any Other Nation

Australians lost more than $1200 each through gambling last year, according to fresh figures. We know that behind the averages, many of those who lose the most can least afford it. These are shocking numbers, laying bare the extent of social harm done by gambling.

The data from Australian Gambling Statistics reveals Australian punters lost almost $23 billion last year, $5.8 billion in Victoria. While there has been an explosion in sports betting, up 30 per cent, by far the biggest cause of gambling losses is poker machines, which alone are responsible for $11.6 billion down the drain. This, as public health expert Dr Charles Livingstone says, is the “600-pound gorilla of Australian gambling”.

But It’s The Pokies We Need To Be Wary Of

poker machines suck the most money from problem gamblersMore than 75 per cent of those directly experiencing harm from gambling use poker machines. It is in this sector that gaming reform advocates such as Tim Costello, Senator Nick Xenophon and MP Andrew Wilkie have long called for reforms including $1 maximum bets and mandatory pre-commitment on poker machines. Banning the practice of credit betting – gambling with money that you don’t even have – has recently been added to this list.

OnlinePokies.com.au supports these reforms and urges the federal and Victorian governments to enact them, showing a genuine commitment to reducing the harm caused by problem gambling. Just as the amounts of money lost to gambling have grown rapidly in recent years, so too has our understanding of this behaviour. We know now that many who gamble are addicts and that gambling irresponsibly has a drastic impact on not just the punter, but also the wider community, in particular their families and friends.

 

Sports betting has rapidly drawn a younger cohort to gambling. Anyone with a smart phone can bet anywhere, any time, and the many different ways to bet on sporting fixtures is dizzying. All of this is also aggressively marketed. Calls for reforms are not wowserism or the thin edge of the wedge towards banning gambling outright. It has been well established that prohibition is an ineffective way to minimise harm in the case of addiction. Regulation and education are far better ways to reduce the damage to the individual and the community, as the internationally recognised success of this nation’s long-standing policy to reduce tobacco smoking demonstrates.

While there has been some welcome action, such as the Victorian government’s recent ban on betting ads near schools and public transport, successive governments have stopped short of bigger changes, particularly around pokies.

The X-Men of Pokie Reform Can Only Do So Much…

It is fair for critics such as Xenophon and Costello to argue governments have failed on gambling reform. While governments continue to benefit so directly from pokies, they leave themselves open to charges that self-interest is behind their lack of will to act. The politics of pokies is as insidious as the machines themselves.

pokies-and-gaming-machine-revenue-2008The Government are actually the biggest pokie addicts of them all – and THAT is a problem
Governments are metaphorically addicted to money from gambling. In Victoria, for example, about $2.5 billion a year is lost to electronic gaming machines, of which $1 billion goes to the government – representing close to 10 per cent of the entire tax take.

 

There is a desperate need to combat this problem. Xenophon is committed to reintroducing his proposed gaming legislation, which will include limiting advertising and banning credit betting. Human Services Minister Alan Tudge has also promised to introduce legislation, and we urge the government to commit to genuine reforms.

The financial losses and social harm caused by problem gambling are undeniable – and are fuelled by addiction, not healthy social behaviour.

What Can You Do?

If you want to make a difference and have your voice heard then the best thing you can do is join the Alliance for Gambling Reform and add your signature to the growing list of Australians who have had enough and want to see positive chance for the first time in our illustrious pokie history

Follow the link and/or image below to add your name to the growing list and tell the government once and for all that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

the case for pokies and gambling reform is overwhelming

I stand against Poker Machines Designed to Addict!

 

Woolworths Reward Addiction With Pokies Card

Woolworths have already established themselves as the Pokie People and one of the most destructive forces ever to impact this great southern land of ours. In fact we were recently saddened to read that Woolworths and their co-owned ALH Group were actively targeting children and families in the pubs and clubs – so this latest news is actually not surprising at all. Woolworths have well and truly let their feelings be known and I for one would like to be the first to ask them to kindly GO AND FUCK THEMSELVES SLOWLY IN THE ARSE WITH A STOP SIGN (top first)

woolworths-the-pokie-people

It’s Fly Buys for Pokie Addicts and Gamblers in General

Anti-poker machine campaigners have slammed supermarket giant Woolworths for introducing a frequent gambling rewards card for poker machines in its string of pokie pubs.

What is it exactly?

The card, designed by poker machine manufacturer Bally Technologies, allows marketing messages to be flashed up on the gambler’s machine as they play, meaning they can order drinks from the machine without interrupting play.

Anti-pokies campaigner Paul BendatAnti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat agreed the card is “essentially a Fly Buys for gambling”. “You sign up for a card, you give them a bunch of your personal details and every time you gamble on one of their poker machines, you insert the card,” Mr Bendat said.

“[Voluntary pre-commitment] is the cornerstone of the harm-minimisation policy of the current Victorian Government, ALP, and the past Coalition. And [This card] is entirely counterproductive. There is no morality in it.”

Woolworths’ move is in direct response to government calls for harm minimisation measures to prevent problem gambling. In December, the ALH Group, which is 96 per cent owned by Woolworths, will roll out the Monty’s Reward card in Victoria and Queensland as its “voluntary pre-commitment” measure, after it was piloted in New South Wales. Independent senator Nick Xenophon branded Woolworths’ decision as cynical.

“What was meant to be a harm minimisation measure has been turned by Woolworths into a harm-exacerbation measure by using this card,” he said. “This isn’t so much a loyalty card as an addiction card.”

mounties-reward-card-flybuys-for-pokie-players

…an addiction card they can now renew online in four easy steps I might add!

Voluntary Pre-Commitment SCHERMITMANT!

even-the-rock-can-see-through-your-bullshit-slot-machine-tips

Buried at the end of the card’s brochure is a paragraph on voluntary pre-commitment – which means the gambler has the option to limit their spending – however, the pre-commitment only lasts for 24 hours. (SEE BELOW for copy of Monty's Rewards Ts&Cs)

http://www.montysrewards.com.au/docs/montys_Ts&Cs.pdf

  1. Voluntary Pre-Commitment 12.1 For Members utilising Monty's Rewards at Participating Venues other than in Victoria: 12.1.1 Members may utilise Voluntary Pre-Commitment in conjunction with their Monty's Card. Procedures for doing so are set out in the brochure accompanying the Monty's Rewards application form and as varied and/or replaced from time to time by ALH as detailed on the Website. 12.1.2 If utilised, the Voluntary Pre-Commitment will allow a Member to set a limit on: (a) the amount of time, in a 24 hour period determined by ALH, that the Member may play Games using their Monty's Card; and/or (b) the Member's net loss, in a 24 hour period determined by ALH, on Games played using their Monty's Card. 12.1.3 If a limit referred to in clause 12.1.2 above is reached, the Member will receive an electronic notification superimposed on the screen of the machine upon which the Game is then being played. At that time, although the Member may continue playing Games, the Member will cease to earn Monty's Points as a result of any further Games played before the commencement of trading at a Participating Venue on the next trading day. 12.1.4 If a Member has set a limit referred to in clause 12.1.2 above, any new limit set by the Member that increases the amount of time or net loss, will not take effect until commencement of trading at a Participating Venue on the next trading day.

WoolWorths Are Commited To The Responsible Service of Gaming… MY ARSE!

Let’s open this can of bullshit and expose Woolworths Limited for the lying bunch of fuckwits that they are – because what Woolies deem to be ‘effective measures to minimise gambling harm’ is quite simply not.

Time to Open a Can!

You comfortable? Because I have a feeling this is going to be a long and revealing look into the depressing disconnect between what the ALH Group SHOULD be doing and what the ALH Group ARE doing.

I have taken the liberty of supplying the ALH Group Responsible Service of Gaming requirements and commitments are – please see below where I will summarise each point and then highlight why it’s a PILE OF BULLSHIT

We have a clear commitment to be Australia's most responsible hotel and gaming operator – proudly going above and beyond what's required by legislation – Bruce Mathieson Jnr CEO ALH Group

ALH Charter – Responsible Hotels and Gaming Commitment (544042d98e8a7.pdf)

  • All gaming machines to have voluntary pre-commitment limits installed by 2014 – two years ahead of any legislation.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-17/woolworths-slammed-by-anti-pokies-groups-gambling-rewards-card/6784210

  • Comprehensive training including full day annual training for management and key staff at all hotels – mandated.

Report Findings However Indicated Quite the Opposite:

No ALH Staff that we spoke to had ever received any formal training on how to recognize the signs of pokie addiction and/or what steps they should take to reduce the harm and provide the support needed.

NSW Department of Liquor and Gaming –

Responsible Conduct of Gambling

responsible-conduct-of-gamblingGaming machines are allowed in registered clubs and hotels. Licensees and venue staff have responsibilities when operating gaming machines.

Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) helps to ensure compliance with the law, reduce gambling related issues and to promote safety (harm minimisation) in venues where there are gaming machines.

Why do you need RCG training?

RCG training is mandatory if your work duties involve gaming machines. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • licensees of a full hotel licence
  • secretaries of a registered club
  • staff with gaming machine duties
  • staff who pay out winnings
  • staff who patrol or serve in the gaming machine area

Whether you are a staff member or an employer, you may be fined if you work without a valid competency card, or allow employees to work without one. Find out more about fines.

  • RCG training course
    The RCG training course helps to promote safety in venues where gaming machines are operated.

So You Need an Active Competency cards

A competency card is similar to a driver’s licence or proof of age card, and has a record of training you’ve undertaken to be legally allowed to work in the liquor and gaming industries. The courses recorded on it are:

  1. Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),
  2. Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG),
  3. Privacy.

A competency card is proof you’ve completed training in one or all of these courses.

Please Explain Woolworths Limited!?

This completely contradicts what the ALH Group themselves claim within their Responsible Service of Gaming –

A key focus is our e-learning module providing staff the skills to approach and interact with customers who may be indicating signs of problems with their gambling, and how our self-exclusion program operates.

We partner with agencies such as Gamblers' Help in each state. We want ALH Group staff to learn from these agencies how best to promote the message of responsible gambling. We have established partnerships with The Salvation Army, gambling research experts and mental health organisations. This recognises that problem gambling is a complex issue and requires a multi-level approach.

And Yet We Found The Complete Opposite

Every staff member knew what intoxication looked like and were strict in their adherence to the guidelines of the RSA charter that requires that person or person to be ejected from the premises.

If a gambler spends too much and cannot control their addiction they are not only encouraged back into the ALH owned venue through rewards and membership incentives, they are also forced to eject themselves from the premises' – and even that is something that has to be done through a process that takes a day or two to come into effect and worse still, is only valid for 24 hours anyway?!

Woolworths Give The Ultimate FUCK YOU With their Gaming Charter

  • Hotel and Gaming Charter. Rigorous internal and external audits.

Introduced in 2010 and updated in 2012 the Hotel and Gaming Charter outlines the companies mission statement and goals in relation to the responsible service of alcohol and gaming. The 11 statements' or promises (hollow words to allow the government to tick the responsible gambling box basically)

We will list and then proceed to tear these 11 promises apart and put the Pauline on Woolies – Please Explain indeed.

  • Gaming rooms are being screened or separated from other areas of the hotel at all ALH venues.

No, no they are not – see report

  • Partnerships with expert groups, including Gambler's Help in each state, and the Salvation Army.

David Schwarz – Responsible Gambling Ambassador For the last five years, the ALH Group has worked with David Schwarz, a well-known former professional AFL footballer and reformed problem gambler, as its Responsible Gambling Ambassador. David provides employee education and customer awareness about the importance of asking for help if your gambling becomes a problem. David is available for our staff to discuss any gambling problems they or their families and friends may be experiencing.

This hotel offers a self-exclusion program – 1800858858

Woolworths really are the Pokie People!

woolworths-australias-pokie-people

The 11 Promises – and We’ll Tear These Ones a New One Shortly Too

 

  • 1 We provide a safe, friendly environment in which all hotel customers can socialise and enjoy themselves in a good atmosphere.
  • 2 We provide good value, good quality meals and family friendly dining experiences.
  • 3 We believe we have a shared responsibility, along with individuals, families, communities and governments, to ensure responsible behaviour.
  • 4 We do not conduct promotions which encourage irresponsible drinking.
  • 5 We restrict gaming room access to adults and ensure gaming rooms are screened or separated from other areas of the hotel, so as to not to attract children.
  • 6 We were the first national hotel operator to support voluntary pre-commitment – a system that helps players stick to their limit by nominating maximum spending or time limits on gaming machines. This system will be implemented at all ALH Hotels by 2014.
  • 7 We train our staff to be aware of behaviour that may indicate gambling problems and to provide appropriate patron support. We require all ALH hotel managers to complete additional advanced responsible gaming training.
  • 8 We partner with expert groups and specialists who can help staff and patrons deal with problem gambling, including Gambler's Help (Australia's leading professional counselling service) and the Salvation Army.
  • 9 We ensure that ATM machines, where approved, are provided for the convenience of all patrons in a safe, central location and not in gaming areas.
  • 10 We support local communities in numerous ways, including working with charities to raise money through our hotels.
  • 11 We conduct internal and external audits to ensure we deliver on our commitment to be Australia's most responsible operator of hotels.

 

 

 

3 Things You Didn't Know about Packer's New Barangaroo Crown Casino

As you might've read in the papers, James Packer's newest construction project – to add a lavish $2 billion Crown casino resort to the Sydney skyline – has just received the final go-ahead from the NSW Planning Commission. The Barangaroo Crown Casino, tipped to become the most luxurious casino resort in the Sydney harbour area upon completion, garnered a slew of media attention before the project was even formally commenced. In case you haven't been keeping up with the coverage, here are three things you probably didn't know about Packer's latest casino!

  1. The Barangaroo Crown Casino Resort will be the first six-star hotel in Sydney.

crown casino sydney barangaroo - James Packers casino

If James Packer has his way, the Barangaroo Crown Resort will literally be off-the-charts. He's promising a six-star hotel, but the official international rating system, as well as Australia's formal accommodation rating system (the Triple A system), only goes up to five stars. How is Crown Resorts going to top luxury hotel stalwarts like the Park Hyatt or The Darling and convince customers that five stars just isn't enough? Well, for starters, the building design is absolutely phenomenal Рthe fa̤ade will resemble three petals winding and twisting together, veiled in white glass. Moreover, the Barangaroo Crown Casino will be the tallest building in Sydney, with an estimated height of over 270 metres. If this modernist vision is realised, Sydney's first six-star hotel may well be in the pipeline.

  1. The building design aims to balance the private and public good.

crown casino sydney barangaroo - James Packers casino

Crown Resorts' initial announcement was met with an outcry from small sections of the community concerned that such a dramatic alteration to the Sydney skyline might have environmental or aesthetic drawbacks. Responding to these criticisms, particularly from commentators who had hoped the building site would be used for the construction of a public park, Crown Resorts modified the building design to add additional green spaces and allow public access to the upper floors, which will deliver panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The planning permission has been made conditional on the fulfilment of these promises.

  1. The Barangaroo Crown Casino Resort is designed by Wilkinson Eyre.

Haven't heard of Wilkinson Eyre Architects? Well, you'll definitely recognise some of their buildings. Some of the most iconic architecture of the 21st century was designed by WEA, including the London 2012 Basketball Arena and the Gardens by the Bay botanic conservatories in Singapore. Their cutting-edge design for the Barangaroo Crown, described by founder Chris Wilkinson as an inhabited artwork, suggests that the newest Crown Resort project may well become the most prestigious building in WEA's impressive portfolio.

crown casino sydney barangaroo - James Packers casino

Further reading and resouces

http://crownsydney.com.au/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Sydney

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/reject-james-packers-casino-tower-city-of-sydney-20160428-gogtq1.html (of course it was still approved because this is James Packer and money gets you whatever you want)

https://newmatilda.com/2016/05/31/casino-mikes-sydney-beautiful-one-day-barangaroo-ed-the-next/ (insight into private vs public land and the history of how ownership has been transferred etc etc)

crown casino sydney barangaroo - James Packers casino

 

How To Get $10 Million Heart of Vegas Free Coins Every Day!

For those of you who haven’t yet heard about Heart of Vegas Slots – the social casino/Facebook App that so far provides over 10 million active players with access to over 60 amazing titles from Aristocrat Leisure, the makers of Australia’s favourite pokies …. then ummm, yeah. How’s life under your rock?

you must be living under a rock to not have heard of heart of vegas slots
Not Heard of Heart of Vegas Slots? So ummm, this your house then yeah?

Seriously though, if you enjoy even an occasional punt on the pokies then you will be well versed with Aristocrat Gaming and the plethora of award winning pokie games they produce. (Learn more about Aristocrat and what Len Ainsworth attributes their success to at this link here) Furthermore, you’ll probably have a few favourites of your own – and I’ll bet one of them is either 5 Dragons, Big Red or Queen of the Nile 😉

play aristocrat pokies on mobile with Heart of Vegas

Unless you’re a bit slow on the uptake (or you genuinely do live under a rock and it’s taking a while to roll the damn boulder back into place) you will have put two and two together and realised that with Heart of Vegas Slots App you can play Aristocrat Pokies Totally Free – but like most of the free things in life there’s a catch… or in this case a credit basket with a hole in it…

Welcome to Heart of Vegas Slots – Have Some Free Coins

heart of vegas free coins when joining

When you first log in to Heart of Vegas it generally requires that you connect via your Facebook account – a completely normal and acceptable process in this social gaming and interconnected world we live in – and as part of this connect you are given 2 million Free coins – or HoV Credits as I like to call them (they are not coins or real money after all) and if you are like myself or any of the other millions of players out there you will excitedly spend the lot of your 2 million free credits within an hour or so – leaving you staring at your iPad and wondering why on earth the bets are as high as $1,000,000 a press?!?! – no really?! – check out our Heart of Vegas Slots Review where we rant a bit about this (among many other things LOL) – because trust me, you’ll be so stoked with the fact you can finally play your favourite Aristocrat Pokies from the comfort of your home or the bus home from work that you’ll spend the lot before you realise you were even getting low in the first place. And then you’ll be like …. well like Chris Rock below 😀

you all got any more heart of vegas free coins
Spend your free coins and soon enough you too will get the itch

Luckily though the free coins and daily credits just keep on coming…. slightly anyway.

Welcome Back to Heart of Vegas – Have Some More Free Coins

Get heart of vegas free coins with the daily wheel

Not only do you get to enjoy 2 million free coins from Heart of Vegas to play the many awesome titles from Aristocrat Pokies, the daily wheel provides you the chance to spin up to 250,000 Hov Credits – and this is on top of up to 60,000 extra credits just for having friends and coming back repeatedly! It seems the guys at Aristocrat and Heart of Vegas are looking after the free social casino crowd… at least that’s the impression they want you to get.

The True Value of Heart of Vegas Coins

true value of free heart of vegas coinsThe key to any good magic trick is misdirection. Create your illusion and then remember to keep your audience focused on that which is not important and you can get away with murder – well sort of anyway. And this is exactly what Aristocrat have done with the Heart Of Vegas Slots app – created the illusion of wealth while using free coins and daily bonus wheels to keep us distracted from the fact that the value of the ‘credits’ we deal with in this virtual social casino world are arbitrary at best.

While we’ve all been living in the same world (generally speaking) and applying the same values to things, the people over in the social casino world are dramatically shifting what that implied value is – and in so doing are creating a false sense of hope and a detachment from reality that can actually reinforce real money gambling in many players. Wait what?!?

Yeah WTF Dude?! – OK seems I have spent too long looking at stats, facts and figures because my world has been reduced to mere proportionate numbers, relative metrics and other confusing shit I haven’t thought about since high school!

Basically the problem (as we alluded to in our initial rant and the official Heart of Vegas Slots Review <– Follow that link people) is that the amount you gamble for each press of the button is … well it’s ridiculous quite frankly.

Would you ever bet $2500 for every press of the pokie if you were playing for real cash? Hell no, and no-one in their right mind would either. Well that staggeringly huge amount of money is the LEAST AMOUNT YOU CAN BET – with the highest amounts in the Hi-Roller room being in excess of $50,000,000 a press – yes you read that right, that’s FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!

bet as much as fifty million heart of vegas free coins with each press

*Imagine how many sharks with freaking laser beams attached to their heads that would buy!

50 Million dollars?!?! Well shit, we’d better figure out a way to get more than a 1 or 200,000 free HoV credits each day then hadn’t we!

How To Get Millions of Free Coins Every Day!

The key to accessing over $5 million Heart of Vegas free coins each and every day is friendship.

Be a good friend and love thy neighbour and.… fuck that, take your Kumbaya loving hippy crap and stick it in a pipe and smoke it – or whatever it is you do.

Friendship is important in life, and now that we’ve got Heart of Vegas Slots on Facebook, friendship is more important than ever – because for every friend you have that plays HoV you can get 50,000 free coins (assuming they are good gifters*)

From Little Thing, Big Things Grow

from little things big things grow - including free heart of vegas credits

Some prefer to use the power of the sun combined with a chemical reaction (in this case photosynthesis) to grow. There are also some that choose steroids or enhanced drugs to increase or ‘aid’ their growth – and others still who use others to build themselves up (to their detriment and otherwise). But today we’re focusing on those of us who like to grow …their Heart of Vegas Balance!

one does not simply make friends with salad$50,000 Heart of Vegas Coins is nothing – in fact it’s two presses of Big Red or Queen of the Nile – at a minimum! but as the many expressions go – it all adds up, every little bit counts and as many need reminding, You can’t make friends with salad. Remember this and you’ll see it play out each and every day as your Heart of Vegas Free Coins come flooding in to provide you a healthy Balance that is constantly getting topped up – assuming you’ve used Facebook to make friends and not salad.

 

Seriously though…. Friends do this for you… EVERY DAY

How to get Heart of Vegas Free Coins every day

Later that same day…

How to get Heart of Vegas Free Coins Trick 2

And the next day…

How to get Heart of Vegas Free Coins every day

And the next day… or maybe this was later on the same day? – meh – too many Heart of Vegas Free Coins to keep up. #Firstworldproblems much 😀

How to get Heart of Vegas Free Coins every day

Facebook Friends. How Many HoV You Got?

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate how freaking awesome that Pun of mine is….. and of course the rhetorical question contained within…..

And now allow me to answer that rhetorical question…… (what? – don’t even go there, seriously it’s been a long day OK)

How To Get Heart of Vegas Friends Who Gift

choose facebook friends who are HoV Gifters

The key to maximising the amount of free coins you get each and every day is in finding friends on Facebook who are not only active HOV Players but also who actually use the ‘gift’ function to share the $50,000 Free Coins that each ‘gift’ generates.

Facebook Groups are the key to maximising your HoV Friends list and keeping it full of regular gifters and other players who genuinely love the game for the game sake and gift because they like getting the free coins in return. In fact I’d recommend these groups to anyone who just wants to play the game without any political BS or idiotic trolls making life irritating – which seems to be the norm for most hobbies and online activities these days.

facebook groups are the key to getting heart of vegas free coins every dayTo find Heart of Vegas Gifters you only need use the search function in Facebook – and I’d recommend running a search query for both ‘Heart of Vegas’ and ‘HoV’ as you wil find many groups under both terms. Then simply request to join and when y ou do make sure you actively add people as friends.

Here is an example of a good (and highly active) Group designed specifically for HoV players to grow their ‘friends who play HoV and Gift’ list –> HOV Daily Gifter Group – Add For Friends (no really, that is the name of the group)

I would recommend creating a new friends list in Facebook and keeping your HoV activity seperate to your regular feed – unless you want to tell your friends and family you play Heart of Vegas… over and over and over and over again?*

*Only funny when the game you are playing is Groundhog day or something 😉

How I generate $5 – $10 Million in Heart of Vegas Free Coins Every Day

get over $10million credits and heart of vegas free coins every day - no catches!

Your Gift inbox will hold up to 100 Gifts – which if you’ve done the maths (and I know you have, you’re a pokie player after all) equates to $5000,000 in Heart of Vegas Free Coins.

*Do this twice a day and generate $10,000,000 in Heart of Vegas Free Coins every single day – oh and that’s not even counting the hourly 10,000 you collect or the daily allegiance bonuses and other random free coin gifts that HoV Slots occasionally does.

Then I usually make this face…

spongebob squarepants loves getting free daily heart of vegas credits

Whether you are playing for fun or stress relief, to simply kill time or you are doing it for Sparta – the fact remains :

do it for sparta or for heart of vegas free coins

And even though I know I should save the free coins or at least start with smaller bet increments so as to make the enjoyment of playing the free pokies last, Ain’t NOBODY got time for that!

Besides, I’ll just get another 10 million free coins tomorrow. BOOM

aint nobody got time to save heart of vegas free coins

Woolworths Push For Yet More Pokies!

Woolworths and their Licensed Hotel interests are systematically sucking the life out of Australia one community at a time through their 13,500+ pokie machines scattered across 328 Hotels and Licensed Venues. Now however it seems they’ve stepped up their campaigns and are attacking communities from multiple (hotel) fronts.

Woolworths and their Licensed Hotel interests are systematically sucking the life out of Australia one community at a time through their 13,500+ pokie machines scattered across 328 Hotels and Licensed Venues. Now however it seems they’ve stepped up their campaigns and are attacking communities from multiple (hotel) fronts.

When $50 Million Is Not Enough

Woolworths and the ALH Group already take $50 million from the residents of Whittlesea each and every year… but in the typical greedy manner in which corporations act, they are now pushing for another 40 pokies at yet another South Morang Pub.

woolworths australias pokie people

A few days ago our friends over at RSLPokies.com revealed how the Woolworths group are planning on targeting children in their pubs and shared some frightening revelations about the groups plans moving forward (Let’s just say that are NOT in the best interest of the country or individuals!) Well it seems our good friends overs at Woolworths the Fuck You Australia People are at it again, this time however they’ve decided to go and pick on an old friend again…

Woolworths Vs. Whittlesea

Woolworths want more pokies in whittlesea - which already suffers
Krishna Batmesswaran, Nessie Sayar and Olivia Naidoo support the Whittlesea Interagency Taskforce on Gambling's campaign to stop plans for 40 pokie machines to be installed at the Commercial Hotel.

Woolworths & The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALHG) –
“Let’s Install another 40 Pokies into South Morang and then Whittle’ See how bad we fuck the community”

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) –
“Haha sure thing, we LOVE approving requests for more pokies, in fact we approve over 94% of applications!”

Common Sense, Reasoning and The Good People of Whittlesea –
Woolworths venues already take over $50 million in pokies losses from Whittlesea, they don't need more. This is money which will leave our neighbourhood and won't come back.

Woolworths Monopoly?

woolworths have a monopoly on pokies in australia

The ALHG owns 305 machines across 3 licensed hotels in the Whittlesea area, including Mill Park's Plough Hotel, the Bundoora Hotel, and the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown.

These same 3 Hotels accounted for almost half of the $111 million lost by gamblers at the city of Whittlesea's 10 pokies venues in the 2015/16 financial year.

$275,000 Lost Every Day in Whittlesea!

whittlesea residents spend nearly $300,000 a day on the pokies

Whittlesea Mayor Stevan Kozmevski said the municipality already had 691 machines which claimed $275,000 each day.

Poker machines have a terrible impact on our community and there are very clear links between poker machine losses and social problems including increased crime and family breakdown, Cr Kozmevski said.

These losses are not surprising as the poker machines are programmed to con €” every push of a poker machine (button) is fixed so that users lose money.

Commercial Hotel manager Natalee Melaney or ALHG representatives could not be reached for comment.

The Same (sad) Old Story

This is not the first time Whittlesea residents have had to stand up against the Hotels and the VCGLR, as these two articles clearly show:

More Proof That The Only Pokie Winners Are The Pubs

Not-For-Profit Community Clubs?! You Mean Not-For-Community Profit Clubs!

Full story and original source article can be found at the Gladestone Observer or by following THIS LINK HERE

Since the start of the year the desperate, drunk and happy-go-lucky pokie punters in Gladstone have fed slightly more than $9.5 million dollars into 659 approved gaming machines at 25 venues around the region.

But, in what some are calling a consolation prize – we here at OnlinePokies.com.au are calling it a kick in the teeth and the ultimate insult to the people of Gladstone – given the millions of dollars pokie machines take out of the community, six not-for-profit community organisations in Gladstone have joined in a share of more than $150,000 as part of the latest round of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund grants.

Ooooh how nice of your apparent Community Clubs to invest some money back into the community. NOT!! But before you start feeling a sense of compassion for the community clubs in Gladstone let’s take a look at how things have been looking over the last few years – because surely figure like this don’t just appear overnight. It usually takes a controlled effort to increase pokie addiction and gambling costs that dramatically.

December 2014 – Gladstone Still one of the State’s Gambling Hotspots. (image below from same article showing statistics for gambling in 2014)

gladstone gamblers put record amounts through the pokies

May 2015 – Punters in Gladstone lose $3 million in one month

Club Profits – But At What Cost?

As a means of returning money received from taxes on gaming revenue, each year the Queensland Government reinvests a portion of this money into community organisations – at least this is what is supposed to happen.

The issue isnt how much these Not-For-Profit clubs are investing but where they are investing it. According to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, at least 8% of pokie revenue (tax) received by the clubs must be inveested into the community to combat problem gambling and go towards harm minimisation…. Well at last check, the clubs of Victoria (for example) had given 0.1% of their pokie profits towards problem gambling and harm minimisation – the rest they spent on bigger venues and sporting fields to grow their own club and in turn encourage more gamblers to play their pokies.

Amazingly, the Victorian Gaming Commission approves this year in and year out – it seems the VCGLR are the ones with the biggest pokie addiction – Learn more about the extent of the corruption in Victoria HERE

evidence of how little the clubs help their community evidence of how little the clubs help their community

Gladstone Community Recipients

This round the lucky recipients included Boyne Island Tannum Sands Saints Aussie rules club ($30,000); Boyne Valley Canoe Association ($35,000); Canoe Point Outriggers ($32,000); Endeavour Foundation Gladstone in-home support ($1400); Gladstone Aussie rules club ($21,000); and, Gladstone Clay Target Club ($34,000).

The grant money will go towards constructing sheds, grandstands and purchasing equipment.

BITS Saints president Andrew McMahon said the money his club received will go towards putting in a new grandstand which he hopes will go a long way in helping the club secure the opportunity to host a grand final.

“Over the years we’ve built up a bit of war chest and we’ve been pretty smart with our money…and part of that is to keep knocking on doors,” Mr McMahon said.

“What we’re trying to do is provide seating and shade for our cricketing and footy families.

“It’s about being a bit more sun smart but we’re all volunteers here and everybody will be welcome to use the facilities,” he said.

President of Canoe Point Outriggers Scott Lowry said he would use his grant money to build a brand new shed for all of the clubs gear.

At the moment the club uses a garden shed with a few poles attached to hang the canoes off.

Although Mr Lowry has never had anything stolen from his garden shed, he said it would be nice to have somewhere much more secure to house his expensive gear.

“Not much has changed in 15 years€¦and everything is old,” he said. “It’ll be awesome because I had a look earlier and thought we missed out on the funding so when Glenn Butcher called it was pretty surprising.”

The member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said it was fantastic to be able to offer grants to local clubs.

“No matter what happens people play the pokies, and you can call it tainted, but if we can give some of that money back then we are more than happy to do that,” he said. “Saving up $34,000 selling chook raffles isn’t easy so this goes a long way to spending money where they really need it. – Funding like this helps keep community groups afloat and strengthens the commitment of volunteers who run these groups,” he said.

Is this the real face of clubsNSW and the other state owned Community clubs?

Is this the real face of clubsNSW and the other state owned Community clubs?

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN HOTEL (GLADSTONE)
25
AGNES WATER TAVERN
5
BAFFLE CREEK TAVERN
6
BOROREN HOTEL MOTEL
26
CALLIOPE CENTRAL BOWLS CLUB INC.
12
CALLIOPE COUNTRY CLUB LTD.
40
CLUB HOTEL (GLADSTONE)
33
DICEY’S
10
DIGGERS ARMS HOTEL
6
GLADSTONE BOWLS CLUB INC.
17
GLADSTONE GOLF CLUB
45
GLADSTONE REEF HOTEL MOTEL
40
GRAND HOTEL (GLADSTONE)
45
HARVEY ROAD TAVERN
5
MIRIAM VALE HOTEL
4
MT LARCOM BOWLS CLUB INC.
21
PORT CURTIS SAILING CLUB INC.
23
QUEENS HOTEL-MOTEL GLADSTONE
5
RAGLAN TAVERN
6
RAILWAY HOTEL CALLIOPE
40
ROCKY GLEN HOTEL-MOTEL
6
ROYAL HOTEL MOUNT LARCOM
45
TANNUM SANDS HOTEL MOTEL
35
THE CENTRAL LANE HOTEL
124
YARALLA SPORTS CLUB INC
35
YOUNG AUSTRALIAN HOTEL (GLADSTONE)

Mo’ Pokies Mo’ Problems Mo’ nash

A recent study conducted by the Herald Sun and subsequent article on RSLPokies.com revealed that since the pokies were introduced to Victoria in 1992, over $50 billion has been poured into them. That is an average of $2 billion Australian dollars being put into the pokies across Victoria every year for the last quarter of a century!

Monash Residents Doing Their Part

With pokie spend averaging around $2billion a year across the state of Victoria it is good to know the people of Monash are doing their part and contributing to keep that frightening average as high as it is – with recent figures from the Victoria Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) revealing that:

Poker machine players in Monash have lost $111.4million in in the first 6 months of 2016 – with losses averaging $9.3million each and every month

That makes Monash the sixth largest loser on poker machines of all local government areas in the state according to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation(VCGLR) although as we’ll discuss shortly, this ‘commission’ charged with policing the licensing and distribution of electronic gaming machines in Victoria seems to run on a culture of corruption and pokie greed. But first, let’s take a closer look at the town of Monash and where the money was lost.

Where The Money Went – Pokie Losses in Monash

Monash is home to 997 poker machines across 15 venues with punters losing out on the pokies at various venues and clubs – the most notable of all being:

  • Mulgrave Country Club's 105 machines €” $12.85 million.
  • Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave’s 79 machines – $11.53 million.
  • Matthew Flinders Tavern’s 75 machines – $11.47 million.
  • Vegas at Waverly Gardens’ 105 machines – $11 million.
City of Monash mayor Cr Geoff Lake
City of Monash mayor Cr Geoff Lake outside the Matthew Flinders Hotel where punters lost over $11 million on 75 poker machines

Monash Council approved a gambling policy opposing the transfer of slot machines to disadvantaged areas and advocacy on tougher gambling regulations.

Mayor Geoff Lake, who is also chairman of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, said the council would do anything to get off the list of biggest losers.

It (losses) disproportionately falls onto a small number of people who are most impacted by that burden especially in lower wealth households, Cr Lake said. It is an unconscionable that the state coffers and the private individuals and big corporations are profiting at the cost of many in out community. We can't put the genie back in the bottle but we can change the way the machines deceive and mislead people, put in spend limits … and have tougher approaches to poker machines.

Cr Lake said more than $2 billion had been lost in Monash €” the highest in the state €” since the introduction of poker machines two decades ago.

The various gambling venues and clubs that indirectly benefit from the tax revenue generated by this obscene pokie spend have also refused to give cash to community groups €” except the Waverley War Widows and Mothers Association – and even then only if they meet in venues home to gaming machines.

The council which led the Enough Pokies campaign in 2014, agreed to sign an open letter in support of gambling reforms at last month's council meeting.*

*Gambling Reforms that are being put back on the table thanks to Nick Xenophon and Andrew Wilkie – Learn more HERE

 

A Culture of Corruption Within The VCGLR?

A recent application by the Langwarrin Hotel in Beretta for 10 more pokies to be provided on the condition that the Hotel build a state of the art children’s playground on the premises was approved by the VCGLR prompting outrage from anti-gambling and pro-family groups – and rightly bloody so!

A report by Monash University academics Dr Charles Livingstone and Louise Francis released last year found 94% of pokies applications by pubs and clubs were approved by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation between July 2007 and June 2014. Dr Charles Livingstone said it seems the chances of obtaining an approval for pokies from the VCGLR are significantly higher than the odds stacked against pokies players.

We knew they approved a high proportion but we didn't realise it was that high, Dr Livingstone told RSLPokies.com

The review of VCGLR decisions, funded by the Municipal Association of Victoria, took about two years to compile and found 132 out of a total of 142 applications researched were approved.

We’ll leave you with this poignant reminder

how pokies work and why you cant win playing pokies

A New Lease on Life for Gambling Reform?

As the subject of pokies and gambling reform is put on the table we see a glimmer of hope. But with a history of practical reforms being thrown out and ignored by a government (who are actually more addicted to the pokies and assocaited tax revenue than any individual) it seems we are heading into yet another ‘Ground Hog Day’ of Australian pokies and gambling reform.

As Andrew Wilkie and Nick Xenophon join forces and vow to take their Anti-Pokies stance with them to the marginal seats in the next election (which experts say is less than 2 years away) it seems the “potent issue” of pokies and gambling reform will be more relevant and topical than ever before.
But with a history of practical reforms being thrown out and ignored by a government (who are actually more addicted to the pokies and assocaited tax revenue than any individual) it seems we are heading into yet another ‘Ground Hog Day’ of Australian pokies and gambling reform.

Original story and source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-19/xenophon,-wilkie-to-take-pokies-fight-to-marginal-seats/7642218

Wilkie & Xenophon Join Forces – But Will Common Sense Prevail?

wilkie and xenophone join forces for pokie and gambling reform

The above image comes from the Lateline video interview of which you can view the whole thing –> HERE

Independents Nick Xenophon and Andrew Wilkie have warned the major parties they will start targeting marginal seats in their fight against gambling.

Senator Xenophon told Lateline that the next election could be just two years away and their campaign could make a difference, making the following comment to Lateline:

“This has to be seen as a marginal seats campaign to target those seats for the next election, which according to some reports could be only two years away, to actually make this an issue that will actually swing the outcome of seats in key electorates,”

It’s Not Like They Want to Blow Up The Pokies!

If you looked at how much money, time and energy the gambling lobbyists and those with ties to the revenue stream have invested over the last decade in continued attempts to quash the opinions of Wilkie and Xenophon you would think that maybe these two independent senators are trying to get rid of the pokies altogether. I could understand a drastic reaction to a request to ‘Blow Up The Pokies’ or something but the fact this has been the reaction when all these two have tried to do is apply common sense and logic to a growing problem so that the ‘pokies’ can remain.

Actually, the length and cost to which these companies will go says a lot about their commitment to grow problem gambling and the associated revenue in this country MoM and YoY.

Because what Andrew Wilkie and Nizk Xenophon are proposing is actually a great idea and is undeniably the most logical and well thought out way forward – the mere fact our own government keeps rejecting these proposals is evidence enough that the corruption and greed of pokie tax has long but blinded our government and effectively bound their hands from ever doing anything positive or constructive.

Thankfully Mr Wilkie and Mr Xenophon can still see clearly and have not been corrupted by the money streams and power players because their suggestions are quite…BRILLIANT.

Senator Xenophon and Mr Wilkie Want:

  • a $1 bet limit on poker machines – This is not the first time this proposal has been put forward – the last few times it was rejected by a government too interested in the revenue stream and not even mildly concerned about the long term impact it would have (See our History of the $1 Betting Limit article –> HERE)
  • A ban on gambling ads during sports broadcasts. –> INterestingly this does not include casino advertising as they can advertise their food and hotel business features without mentioning the casino floor. This is a BULLSHIT loophole as most casino names are affilited with gambling and the connection is naturally made anyway.
  • They also want to reinstate a joint select committee on gambling reform. – One that is not easily corrupted or bought out!

“There’s one thing the gambling lobby can’t compete with no matter how many millions they pour into the campaign, the fact is there are literally hundreds and thousands of Australians hurt by gambling addictions,” he said. “Conservatively, one in 10 Australians are being affected by gambling addiction in this country and that’s a very significant constituency that can’t be ignored.”

Mr Wilkie said political donations from big gaming companies should be scrutinised.

“We need reform of political donations generally and we need to do what we can to shine a light with the current laws with where the money’s coming from and where it’s going,” he said.

Follow this story and the ensuing changes that are or not implemented through our community gambling blog RSLPokies.com

Woolworths: Hating on Australian Families Since… Pokies.

Anti-poker machine campaigners have slammed supermarket giant Woolworths for introducing a frequent gambling rewards card for poker machines in its string of pokie pubs.

Woolworths’ move is in direct response to government calls for harm minimisation measures to prevent problem gambling – but in typical corporate greed fashion, Woolworths have turned it around to serve their own best interests, effectively mocking the growing problems associated with pokie addiction and reaffirming their position as Anti-Family and pokie friendly

 

Fly Buys Card For Pokies?!

anti pokies campaigner Nick Xenophon thinks woolsworth hate australiansIn December, the ALH Group, which is 96 per cent owned by Woolworths, will roll out the Monty’s Reward card in Victoria and Queensland as its “voluntary pre-commitment” measure, after it was piloted in New South Wales.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon branded Woolworths’ decision as cynical.

“What was meant to be a harm minimisation measure has been turned by Woolworths into a harm-exacerbation measure by using this card,” he said. “This isn’t so much a loyalty card as an addiction card.”

This comes off the back of whatever Woolworths and the ALH Group have just done – because I am sure it’s not good. The Fresh Food people are slowly being known as the Pokies people, and if their penchant for pokies profits continues to come at the expense of the people then maybe it’s time we all paid a visit to our local Coles 😉

Woolworths Pre-Commitment Fly-Buys Card Summary

If the following summary of what the ALH group is doing and where its priorities lie as we move toward 2017 doesn’t say everything you need to know about these people then you’re blinder than Stevie Wonder!

  • Woolworths to roll out reward card as its “voluntary pre-commitment” measure
  • But anti-pokies campaigners say it is “essentially Fly Buys for gambling”
  • Woolworths plans to target children as a way to drive sales in its pokie pubs

The card, designed by poker machine manufacturer Bally Technologies, allows marketing messages to be flashed up on the gambler’s machine as they play, meaning they can order drinks from the machine without interrupting play.

Anti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat agreed the card is “essentially a Fly Buys for gambling”. “You sign up for a card, you give them a bunch of your personal details and every time you gamble on one of their poker machines, you insert the card,” Mr Bendat said.

Pre-Commitment Shhermitment

“[Voluntary pre-commitment] is the cornerstone of the harm-minimisation policy of the current Victorian Government, ALP, and the past Coalition.
“[This card] is entirely counterproductive. There is no morality in it.”

Buried at the end of the card’s brochure is a paragraph on voluntary pre-commitment – which means the gambler has the option to limit their spending – however, the pre-commitment only lasts for 24 hours.

The Victorian Government has announced it will roll out general pre-commitment technology in December.

But the Victorian Government is Just as Corrupt as The VGCLR, the gambling industry itself and the Federal Govt. that oversees it all.

Australian Gambling statistics
Woolies and the ALH don’t care what your odds are – Just keep playing OK

Both Woolworths and the Victorian Gaming Minister, Jane Garrett, argue that the card is more appealing to punters because it is more “discreet” and had less “stigma” than a stand-alone pre-commitment card. Ms Garrett (who is clearly an idiot and blinded by the corruption of pokie revenue like the rest of our government) made the following (totally moronic and contradictory) statement:

“People like loyalty programs. They like them at their coffee shops, they like them on their plane trips, they like them at their local restaurants – of themselves, loyalty programs are not bad,”

Contradictory Much?!

Jane Garrett Victorian Gaming Minister
Jane Garrett Victorian Gaming Minister

When asked whether encouraging people to gamble more through a rewards card and harm minimisation in poker machines were completely contradictory, Ms Garrett said loyalty programs had “different roles for different people”.
“I’m not tarnishing all of those people who work in this industry and all of the people who enjoy going out to venues and taking their kids out to dinner,” she said.

Senator Xenophon was astonished the Victorian Government had supported such a scheme.

“This is effectively a Trojan horse for more addiction. And the Victorian Government is busy dragging the horse through the gates,” Senator Xenophon said.

There are 328 Woolies-owned pubs across Australia, and of the 73 in Melbourne all but one have poker machines.

WoolWorths – Anti-Family & Pro-Pokies

The move comes aswoolworths owned pubs are anti-family as they encourage children and pokies Woolworths, a company which has always marketed itself as proudly family-friendly, has announced to the stock market that it plans to target children as a way to drive sales in its pokie pubs. Wait! What?! Dafuq??!

Buried in the analyst’s report in Woolworths’ company results, released on August 28, is a commitment in its ALH Group section to “promotional offers like kids eat free to drive food sales”.

A visit to those pubs reveals “Kids Clubs”, “kids eat free nights” and children’s entertainment advertised on billboards and online.

The pubs also offer playgrounds for children…. Like THIS ONE AT LANGWARRIN HOTEL – Where owner Peter Beretta agreed to build a brand new childrens playground in exchange for 10 new pokie machines.

 

 

Pokies and Children – No Woolworths, Just No.

While Woolworths has previously committed to separating the children’s playgrounds and dining rooms from the pokie floors, 7.30 discovered that they were actually right next to each other in some pubs.

Partially-opaque glass walls did not hide the poker machines and their flashing lights from view from the play equipment and dining rooms.

“This is an immersive experience for young children that normalises gambling,” Mr Bendat said.
“And there’s nothing more powerful than seeing your parents gamble, seeing the grandpas and grandmas that they may observe in the poker machine room.”

Allison Keogh grew up with a mother who started having the odd flutter on the pokies at her local club, but became a full-time problem gambler.

“[Marketing to children in pokie venues] really turns my stomach, because everything to me points to the fact that they are actually the opposite of family friendly – they are separators of family,” Ms Keogh said.

Ms Keogh spent hours nearly every night of the week in the kids’ room at her local club in NSW.

“I still refer to that environment or that room as ‘the jail with pink walls’ – that’s what we called it, that’s what it felt like,” she said.

“Things like homework, dinner time conversation, things like that just didn’t happen.
I do remember a time when my father walked into the kids’ room and found us asleep on the floor and as he picked me up, I woke up, and he muttered ‘this is no life for a kid’.”

pokies and children do not mix but try telling that to ALH

…Cause Woolworths sure as shit aren’t going to!

ALH and Woolworths had this to say:

In a statement to 7.30, ALH said the customers with a Monty’s card “can access and use pre-commitment functionality with or without participating in the venue loyalty system”.
“In this way, customers can access pre-commitment functionality discreetly and without any negative stigma.
“ALH are proud to operate family friendly hotels. We restrict gaming room access to adults and ensure gaming rooms are screened or separated from other areas of the hotel.
“The pre-commitment functionality assists our customers to gamble responsibly by nominating spend and, or time limits on electronic gaming machines.
“Pre-commitment settings can be set at the hotel or via the internet. Voluntary pre-commitment and responsible gambling dynamic messaging will also appear on screen.”

Ms Garrett said her Government had introduced strict ministerial guidelines for new venues about separation of pokie floors and playgrounds and were auditing existing venues.

She agreed that some of the descriptions of the Woolworths pubs breached those guidelines.

Our Thoughts…

Here at OnlinePokies Australia we think that the description of Woolworths in general has breached the guidelines of honesty and ethics – and as such it is with great pleasure that I introduce a name more synonymous with the actions and deeds of Woolworths Limited…. Oh and for the record, no I did not make this – but the fact I searched for Woolies Pokie People and got thousands of awesome banners and title images to use within moments speaks volumes for how their reputation precedes them.

woolworths australias pokie people

KFC Worker Becomes Instant Millionaire! You Won’t Believe How

kfc worker becomes instant millionaire

Why Did The KFC Worker Cross The Road?

To play online pokies and win more than $10 million kiwi dollars in one spin on Mega Moolah, the world’s most popular progressive slots game of course!

A bloke from the land of the long white cloud has won more than $10 million kiwi dollars through a progressive jackpot playing online pokies at CasinoLand – an online casino available to Australian and New Zealand players – and the New Zealand Government is Not Happy Jan! (His Mum however is probably pretty stoked NOW, although initially she was not a fan of her son “wasting money” playing online pokies and spending time on gambling sites. I should think there is a pretty smug looking KFC worker somewhere in New Zealand right now who’s giving his mum $10 million worth of “I told you so” – along with a nice cup of tea of course, because Rawiri Pou looks like a nice boy – and nice boys make their mums tea.

new zealand man wins millions playing mega moolah online pokies

On Tuesday, Rawiri Pou (pictured above) attended a press conference at an Auckland hotel where he was presented with a giant novelty check for NZ $10,144,395.82 (US $7.2m) for winning the Mega Moolah progressive slots jackpot on Casinoland.com.

The 27-year-old Pou, who currently works for a KFC in Matamata, said he originally won $1,500 playing the online progressive slot game but decided to roll over his winnings – leading to the giant payday on June 17. A Casinoland spokesperson said the company was thrilled for Pou and promised that the life-changing amount of money would be in his bank account by Friday.

Pou says he has no plans to quit his KFC job, perhaps because he admitted that he still doesn't know what to feel about his good fortune. That said, he did apparently feel a little smug about his parents having previously scolded him for wasting his money on gambling sites.

The Millionaire Maker – Mega Moolah

mega-moolah online pokies and progressive slot machine

The world’s most popular online progressive slots game is not affectionately called the millionaire maker for nothing and once again it has created another instant millionaire – this time from our neighbour country New Zealand. But as incredible and life changing as this $10million will be for Rawiri Pou, it pales in comparison to some of the other lucky Mega Moolah winners – with the largest win on record going to English retired soldier John Haywood who took home over $30 million USD!

megamoolah biggest online progressive slots win

Microgaming who are the software company powering Mega Moolah, or as I like to call them “The Brains Behind the Games” are thrilled to hear of yet another player becoming an instant millionaire simply by enjoying their online pokies and playing the Microgaming owned Mega Moolah progressive online slots. And this win now takes the total amount paid by Microgaming to players around the world to a ridiculous amount. In fact:

Microgaming have now officially paid out over ‚¬583 million to online casino players since their inception over 15 years ago'

mega-moolah
CLICK HERE TO TRY MEGA MOOLAH FREE

New Zealand’s Online Gambling Laws

This recent Multimillion dollar win is a big embarrassment for the New Zealand government as they appear to have been caught unprepared and (for all intents and purposes) unaware of the popularity of online gambling and playing pokies online. It's not currently illegal for Kiwis to bet with international gambling sites but the government is actively exploring ways to choke off access to gambling sites like the Malta- and UK-licensed Casinoland. The same situation is happening here in Australia, although I don’t think the Australian Government was quite as ill informed or unprepared as the NZ government appear to be.

The only acceptable form of online gambling in the country is the NZ TAB's online sports and race betting. Local casino operator SkyCity Entertainment even caught hell for launching a free-play online casino last summer.

The New Zealand government has yet to comment on Pou's payday but the New Zealand Racing Board is likely burning up the phone lines demanding to know what Racing Minister Nathan Guy is going to do to ensure more people don't realize the full scale of available options besides the lowly TAB.

spin-palace-mega-moolah