SkyCity alerts public to rising scam gambling sites misusing Its brand

SkyCity Casino is the online division of SkyCity Entertainment Group. The group is an entertainment firm situated in Auckland. It owns and runs five casinos on land in New Zealand. Additionally, it is listed as stock on the New Zealand Exchange, or NZX.

SkyCity Casino opened its virtual gates in August 2019. Ever since, it has been the preferred option for Kiwi gamers wishing to wager online. The top casino software companies globally provide over 1,000 distinct pokies, table games, and live dealers for you to choose from. Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, and Pragmatic Play are a few of its software providers.

New Zealand Casino scams

According to SkyCity, there has been a noticeable increase in dishonest advertising lately. The majority of these advertisements are on Facebook. They frequently persuade you to download phoney apps from the Google Play Store. The app poses as the online gambling service offering from SkyCity.

The company is worried about possible confusion among residents. You could think that you are using the official SkyCity online casino app and this is probably not the case. SkyCity stressed the need for alertness. They urge New Zealanders to double-check the credentials of operators and use caution when clicking on links from social media.

Measures to ensure safe and responsible gambling

When playing, the reliability of New Zealand-based online casinos should concern you. Every casino ought to go through a thorough screening process. This will contribute to ensuring fun, fair, and safe gaming experiences.

If you’re looking to start gambling online, you should consider checking reliable sources for reviews on safe casino sites. You can discover the best New Zealand online casinos through reviews and suggestions from sites such as Bestcasinosites.net. With the aid of their knowledgeable research and updated listings, you may avoid any fraud and make well-informed selections.

With so many possibilities and all the tempting bonus offers, selecting an online casino might be difficult. Because of this, you need to make sure the casino you choose has a solid reputation in the market and offers what is actually beneficial to you.

There is no negotiating over a legitimate license. You must verify credentials from regulatory bodies such as Curacao eGaming, UKGC, MGA, GRA, GSC, and AGCC. Furthermore, a user-friendly design and a smooth registration procedure are essential.

SkyCity’s warning to New Zealand customers

SkyCity has alerted New Zealanders about the risks associated with using phoney online gambling sites. These platforms mimic the company’s name, logo, and appearance in an attempt to entice customers.

The gaming operator clarified this in a statement. The operator made note of the fact that the fraud had been going on for the past few months.

The amount of fake online gambling advertisements targeting New Zealand consumers with the company’s trademarks and emblems has skyrocketed. You may have discovered the advertisements on Facebook. These ads request that you download a mobile application straight from the Google Play Store.

The firm is worried that locals are being tricked into believing they were using the SkyCity online casino app when they weren’t. They clarified that the firm was eager to urge Kiwis to carefully pick the gambling sites they bet with.

The remarks came out during the most recent Cyber Smart Week. If you’re in New Zealand, you should always double-check the URLs you use. Additionally, you should exercise caution while visiting links on social media.

The CEO of SkyCity believes that policing the internet gambling industry in New Zealand would shield residents from some of the dishonest practices. These schemes are employed by some businesses to defraud more impressionable customers. The business feels that the authority to deal with rogue operators that try to con citizens of New Zealand should be granted to local regulatory organisations.

Offshore gambling advertisements in New Zealand

Publicising or endorsing offshore gaming businesses or services to New Zealanders is currently prohibited. This is in accordance with the Gambling Act of the nation. Nonetheless, foreign gaming enterprises frequently evade these regulations to exploit naive local consumers.

According to SkyCity, it has been reporting instances of unauthorised usage of its trademarks and emblems daily. The business sends these complaints straight to the nation’s gambling oversight, the Department of Internal Affairs, as well as social media platforms.

The business would most likely enter a guilty plea to the charges that it broke Australian anti-money laundering (AML) laws by operating a casino there. The gaming operator would consequently be required to pay a million-dollar fine.

Likely, SkyCity and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) will come to a definitive agreement. The management of the firm acknowledged that several errors had been committed by the company. Among these are the missteps in putting SkyCity’s face recognition technology to use in identifying problem gamblers into practice.

The firm was accused by the nation’s financial watchdog of flagrantly and consistently breaking Australian rules intended to prevent money laundering and the funding of terrorism. In December 2022, this occurred in the casino located in Adelaide.

The AUSTRAC’s concern hasn’t been formally addressed as of yet. To be ready to pay any fines associated with its purported noncompliance, SkyCity has already set aside AU$45 million.

Past warnings to SkyCity

The Department of Internal Affairs had threatened to suspend SkyCity for promoting an online casino with an address abroad. SkyCity violated the Gambling Act in March 2020 when it sent emails to members of its loyalty program.

They were informed by the firm that everything was running smoothly at the online casino. After conducting an investigation, DIA issued a formal warning.

In New Zealand, it is illegal to promote overseas gambling. DIA does not, however, think SkyCity deliberately set out to violate the Act. As a result, a formal warning was justified and appropriate.

DIA anticipates that SkyCity will be extremely cautious in the future to prevent violations of the Act. The agency is going to treat any such violations in the future with seriousness.

That said, SkyCity feels that they did not breach any laws. They make it clear that the email’s main goal was to inform recipients of the Covid-19 pandemic’s overall effects on SkyCity’s business operations.

According to the gambling company, the Gambling Act’s requirements were not violated. They will, however, consider the department’s point of view and the input they have received.