"RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING PROGRAMS" are a joke!
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/barred-then-wanted-back-video-4960698
Barred gambler coaxed back to casino
Published: Sunday July 08, 2012Source: ONE News
A woman legally barred from Auckland's SkyCity is appalled the company is attempting to coax her back to the casino via text messages.
Selina Watson and her husband gambled close to $50 million over 10 years as VIP customers at the casino.
Husband Richard Watson, who worked as an accountant for over 30 years, is serving as six-year jail sentence after stealing nearly $5.5 million from his employers.
SkyCity subsequently trespassed the couple from the casino's premises for two years. They were also barred from Hamilton and Christchurch casinos.
Selina said she was shocked when she received text messages from SkyCity coaxing her to gamble there, which could see her face prosecution in breach of the trespass orders.
"I was really, really angry when I received it," she told ONE News.
"I didn't know what on earth was going on and wondered why on earth are they sending me text messages."
The first message read: "Don't forget $50K sweepstakes draws in 27 July."
A second message said, as a VIP customer, she could collect $60 bonus gambling dollars by visiting the casino.
SkyCity issued a statement apologising to Selina and others who may have received texts, saying it was a computer glitch.
Selina said the text messages brought all of her past grievances with gambling up again.
"It regurgitated absolutely everything I have been through for the last two years."
As VIP customers with loyalty cards, the Watson's $50 million spending was recorded over ten years.
"Anyone that is using a loyalty card is tracked and if it's excessive, something should be said to them."
Selina said she only once received a responsible gambling pamphlet during that time.
Internal Affairs told ONE News the text messages could be in breach of SkyCity's host responsibility.
They encouraged other barred people who have received similar text messages to complain to them directly.
Since Selina's story ran on ONE News at 6, SkyCity said in a statement that it will investigate any breaches of its responsibility programme, which is a condition of its licence.
It said it welcomed contact from anyone who has been banned and may have concerns about being approached.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/barred-gambler-coaxed-back-casino-4960718
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3 comments:
Whenever a problem is uncovered, the gambling industry immediately blames 'computer glitches'. The same thing happened when researchers found that during reel-spinning, the top 5 winning symbols lined up in rows, frequently, to be seen only subliminally by the person using the machine. The 'winning spin' effects were only picked up when the individual game spins were slowed down to frame-by-frame pictures. It was a problem with the computers, the gambling industry said. Usually, such spins do not occur...so gamblers cannot complain that subliminal visual effects encourage them to gamble more....according to the gambling industry. Yeh....OK....!
Its simple if they have consistently breached their licence conditions they should lose their licence. In addition their should be significant financial penalties imposed for each breach, the government is always saying it needs the revenues. A few significant fines or better still loss of licences should reduce the incidences of these computer glitches.
Nice idea!
There has NEVER been a license revoked! The penalties amount to a slap on the wrist - a pittance!
David Cay Johnston wrote a great book, out of print, but available on Alibris, called "Temples of Chance How American Inc. Bought Out Murder Inc. to Win Control of the Casino Business."
In it, he documents how the New Jersey Gam[bl]ing Commission ignored underage gambling, the Drexel Lambert scam, Trump's insolvency, Merv Griffin's insolvency and much else. Worth reading!
Regulators and the Government become partners, vested in the success of Predatory Gambling and it is only consumers and the public who lose out.
Sadly, it happens around the globe.
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