Another silly gambling law
November 6th, 2012 at 3:00 pm by David FarrarThe Herald reports:
However, the Department of Internal Affairs warns that office sweepstake prize money cannot exceed $500 and those who breach the rules could face the long arm of the law.
This means tickets for the 24-horse race can cost no more than $20.83, according to a spokesman.
Any money raised must be returned as prizes and no one is allowed to profit from organising the sweepstake.
Violating these regulations could incur a fine of up to $1000.
So a $21 dollar per horse sweepstake is illegal! DIA has no choice but to enforce the law, but it shows why we need wide-spread reform of our Victorian era gambling laws. The TAB should not have a sports betting monopoly for a start.
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November 6th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
The DIA needs a reality check – this is pure and simple crap.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Monpolies are now, get used to it
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
The reason the department is called Internal Affairs is because they are all anal retentives!
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
The TAB sports monopoly is ridiculous.
I’m not allowed to create my own gambling company here in NZ, paying NZ company tax and encouraging competition for the TAB (which would give greater returns to those who did gamble)
Yet I could set up a company in say, Australia, and operate online in New Zealand.
Its just silly.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
just ignore the crappy law it like we do at work..you wana see some of the bets we have going…
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Well to be completely honest, if I’m putting more than $5 into a sweeps I better be the one picking the damn horse!!!!
But then that’s me, any other mug wants to spot a $50 and risk grabbing the nag, then that’s their call.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
TAB offers crappy odds, no one I know uses it. It’s over round is 115%, i.e it retains 15% of stakes as profit.
Everyone bets with the European exchanges, which runs 101% or 102% books.
The rational being that it needs this money to support the NZ racing industry, the truth of course being if there were more vendors with better prices more people would gamble and the racing industry would be better off all round.
We have a political class that thinks gambling is bad, and allows two monopoly vendors, TAB and Sky City that doubtless pay vast sums for their licenses.
It’s like something out of the Muldoon era; Roger Douglas should have sorted this out 20 years ago when he fixed everything else.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
a) it’s not “another” stupid gambling law, if memory serves you complain about this one every year.
b) As I understand it, the TAB has a monopoly to ensure that people are not ripped off by sharks who give good odds then run with all the money as that used to be a problem before it was established. But it’s a long time since I read that so I might be mistaken.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
I can recall at least three (3) occasions when I participated in a DIA senior level-organised Melbourne Cup sweep….and many more when none less than the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Ministers, and one or two others, participated in sweeps organised in my office.
It is all a load of CRAP.
As for the legislation and the Herald piece – a typical electronic beat up but, take it off the books!
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Think there’s a typo in the herald article, dia website says…. http://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-The-Rules-for-Running-a-Gambling-Activity#two
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
The DIA can go FUCK themselves.
Vote:What a complete waste of time this law is.
November 6th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Some of the best fun betting is with the on-course bookies at Australian race courses. Better odds and adds character to the meet, another reason to visit the course.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Its one day a year.
What they should do be like Australia on ANZAC Day
On ANZAC Day in Australia ‘ 2 UP’ is legal for that day only.
For Melbourne Cup Day the one day of the year when the majority of us have a little punt, make the Sweeps and calcuttas legal, for that day only. Problem solved DIA.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
The law is out of date again as the level of prize pool is too low. However to be fair the TAB have more conditions than your local work sweep.
Payouts can be $5000 if run by a registered society like many work social clubs.
At my work it is hard enough to sell a $5 sweep I tried a $10 one for the NZ Cup 3 years ago but had to cancel due to lack of interest
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
“DIA has no choice but to enforce the law”.
If DIA enforces this law, they should have their budget cut and cut again until they don’t have the resources to enforce this law.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
I demand that one of our true freedom-loving representatives urgently submits a private member’s bill to correct this gross infringement of our right to gamble freely with our colleagues without having to cower in fear of a raid by jackbooted internal affairs lottery and sweepstake inspectors.
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
I had to change the office sweepstake prizes due to the clause “Firearms, liquor, tobacco and vouchers for sex services are all out of bounds.”
Vote:November 6th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
I thought about getting my workmates to put in $50 for a sweep; but was deterred by the thought of having to ask them for another $40 each that I would place in ‘trust’ until we were quite sure that the DIA would not be raiding us today. In fact, I was so disgusted that I ran a sweep for only $5 a head; as if it were only for the fun of it. Political correctness gone mad!
Vote:November 7th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Screw the law. Its an ass and needs to be treated with the same disdain and contempt as the laws governing shop trading hours. I ignore them, and open my business when I choose, except ANZAC day.
Vote: