When I first moved to New Zealand I was given the impression there was a grey area when it came down to what was legal and what was not with regards to the prize pool in a pub poker game.
Some people (and venues) claimed that as long as an individual prize did not exceed $500 everything was ok, whilst others said it had to be no more than $500 in the total pot.
After doing some research its clear from the DIA that the maximum prize pool (not individual prize) cannot exceed $500, and if it is; you are falling foul of the law.
In recent years there has even been confirmed reports that some venues have been raided as part of crackdowns on illegally ran games. These crack downs are due to the pressure from the local casinos – so I’ve been told.
As you can see you only need to have 26 players each paying $20 to fall foul of the law, and depending where you live 26 players might sound like a lot. But for a lot of venues this can quite easily be exceeded.
Another way of looking at it is; it’s only 13 players if you let everyone have a $20 add-on or re-buy on their initial $20 wager. That’s not many people is it?
Whilst the above is covered by Class 1 Gambling, the prize pool is one among a few other stipulations such as;
- No one can be paid to run the event,
- The event must be run by an individual,
- All staked money (minus reasonable and necessary costs) are paid to the players.
But, if we look at Class 2 Gambling, it covers the same details as above, BUT we can look to play for up to $5,000 in prize money. Which is allows us to play for a much great sum.
The only issue with Class 2 Gambling, is that it has to be run by a registered society. – Sounds painful, but it’s really not.
Below is an outline on setting up your own society and the steps you need to take to allow you to play for the higher prize pool. It does require ongoing work, and there is a small setup fee involved but it is definitely worth it. Please note, that this information may change at anytime without notice and its best to check with the DIA and Societies NZ if you are unsure of anything.
Whatever the law on gambling, we will still play them. Because there is a lot of money spinning. For some, they are considered easy. I know many stories when the poor rich on poker (and vice versa), and when gambling we want to get into this number of those who are rich. I recently read "The ups and downs of Nick" The Greek "Dandolos" -https://www.casinoznz.com/content/the-ups-and-downs-of-nick-the-greek-dandolos-681.html The was about one high-roller and was impressed by it, and there are many that are silent about the story. And I also want to achieve some success, but there is no such finance to start.
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