"Dice Set to Roll for Online Gambling"
In direct contrast to the policies of the United States, residents of
New Zealand could be playing interactive gambling games from home or
work within a year from now. This has all been made possible by New Zealand
Lotteries.
A contract concluded in mid-August with Gtech,
a U.S. based company, will be refreshing New Zealand’s entire
population of lottery terminals and follow up by introducing a line
of new products, including remote interactive gambling, also known
as RIG. The number of terminals to be updated is currently estimated
at 1,450 but that number is growing.
According to New Zealand Lotteries spokesperson,
Helen Morgan-Banda, when offered overseas, remote interactive gambling
typically is provided over the Internet as well as through dedicated
networks, but whether RIG will be offered over the Internet in New
Zealand has yet to be negotiated. Still, Morgan-Banda noted that under
the Gambling Act it is a possibility, “We
have the legal right to offer interactive gaming, under the Gambling
Act", she added.
Existing equipment operated over the Telecom DDS network, but that is
about change as Gtech plans to set up a network that will use IP as its
protocol. The new terminals will also support a web interface. The entire
update should be finished by the middle of next year. Morgan-Ganda expects
new products to be introduced at about that time too.
Over its nine-year term, the total value of the systems renewal contract
is estimated at about forty million dollars. Included in the estimate
are the costs for new gaming and IP systems and ongoing support. Gtech
also provided the existing equipment that New Zealand Lotteries is already
using.
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