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Kiwis Deserve Safe Gambling That Gives Back

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The Government’s new Online Casino Gambling Bill, currently under Select Committee review, is a step in the right direction toward creating a safer, fairer, and more transparent gambling environment for New Zealanders. As the country’s leading source of information on legal online gambling, we at PlayCasino.co.nz support the push to regulate offshore operators and introduce licensing, age checks, harm minimisation measures, and tax contributions.

But we believe the bill has a serious flaw: it makes no provision for the ongoing funding of community sport, which currently receives over NZ$170 million annually from gaming machine grants.

This gap in the legislation threatens the very fabric of Kiwi sport — the local clubs, youth teams, and community programmes that rely on consistent, ring-fenced funding from gambling grants. If licensed online operators are going to take market share away from the current retail sector, then it is only fair and responsible that they contribute back to the communities they serve.

We Believe in Smart Regulation That Gives Back

The bill includes strong proposals for reducing harm, enforcing local oversight, and holding operators accountable. That’s excellent — and long overdue.

But regulation is not just about minimising harm. It’s also about maximising benefit. And right now, community sport stands to lose big.

As Martin Snedden, Chair of Cycling New Zealand, rightly put it:

“Sport has thrived for decades off the back of community gambling grants. It all goes to clubs, not professional sport.”

We couldn’t agree more. If these new offshore casinos are to be welcomed into our regulatory framework, then they must be required to support the public good, just like the domestic gaming trusts they’ll be replacing.

Public Submissions Close 17 August – Let’s Make Our Voices Heard

This is not a done deal. The bill is still under Select Committee review, and the Government is accepting public submissions until 17 August. That means every New Zealander has a chance to weigh in and help shape the future of online gambling in Aotearoa.

We’re calling on our readers, our fellow players, sports lovers, parents, club organisers — everyone who cares about keeping our communities strong — to speak up.

We’ll be publishing a simple guide to help you make a submission quickly and easily. The more people who raise this issue, the harder it will be for lawmakers to ignore.

How We See It: Four Principles for a Better Gambling Bill

  1. Safer Gambling for Players
    We fully support age verification, harm prevention, and enforcement of responsible gambling standards.
  2. Legal Options for Kiwis
    Licensing offshore operators gives Kiwis safe, controlled alternatives to the black-market casinos they’re already using.
  3. Fair Play for Communities
    If operators are earning revenue from Kiwi players, they must return some of it to the grassroots clubs that hold our communities together.
  4. Transparency for All
    Licensing is meaningless unless it comes with clear rules — and clear benefits — for the whole country.

We want the Online Casino Gambling Bill to succeed. We want safer play. But we won’t stay silent while community sport is pushed to the side.

We’ll Only Recommend Licensed, Responsible Operators

Once New Zealand’s online gambling market is regulated, we at PlayCasino.co.nz will only promote and review licensed casinos that meet the highest standards of safety, fairness, and transparency.

But we also want to see those operators contributing back — not just to tax revenue or harm services, but to the clubs and communities that make New Zealand what it is.

 Final Word: Gambling Should Be Safe — and It Should Give Back

This bill is a chance to build a future where gambling works for players and communities, not just for offshore companies.

Let’s not miss that chance.

About PlayCasino.co.nz

PlayCasino.co.nz is New Zealand’s go-to platform for finding safe, legal, and high-quality online casinos. We help players compare casinos, understand payment options, claim free no deposit bonuses responsibly, claim free spins bonus, and stay informed about the latest casino news and regulations.

We’re committed to responsible gambling, local transparency, and promoting only trusted operators — now and after regulation. Find the list below.

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1 SlotBox Casino 100% up to $1,000 + 100 Free Spins N/A
2 Grand Rush Casino $4,000 Free + 40 Spins on 7 Chakras N/A
3 Jackpot City Casino 100% up to NZ$400 Free Welcome Bonus N/A
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The post Kiwis Deserve Safe Gambling That Gives Back appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

AI agents

EveryMatrix Selects Cevro AI to Provide Operators with Fully Integrated empathic AI Support Agents

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A partnership that transforms player support with cutting-edge AI agents purpose-built for iGaming, delivering faster resolutions, personalised experiences, and seamless integration into the EveryMatrix platform at scale.

EveryMatrix today announced a strategic partnership with Cevro AI, the leader in AI agents for iGaming customer support. This collaboration sets a new benchmark for player experience, as operators gain access to advanced generative AI agent systems built and fine-tuned for the iGaming industry capable of resolving complex player support issues with human-level empathy, precision, and speed.

Cevro AI’s agent platform is built on a series of domain-tuned large language models specifically trained on real iGaming workflows, player behaviours, compliance rules, and operator processes. According to the company, this domain focus allows the AI to “be best in class” and “perform like a seasoned support agent that understands players from day one,”

Kevin Furlong, Group CPO, EveryMatrix, said: “We are constantly investing in technology that helps operators grow and scale with confidence. Generative AI is now at a point where it can make a real difference. With Cevro AI, our operators gain intelligent, empathic agents that support players around the clock and drive real business value through deep integration across the EveryMatrix ecosystem.”

With native-level fluency in 100+ languages, Cevro AI autonomously connects to the EveryMatrix Player Account Management (PAM) platform and back-office to take action and instantly process requests, handling withdrawals, deposit issues, bonus requests, and account-related tickets with personalisation and a natural, conversational tone. The Cevro agents are trained with trust-layer controls, ensuring full alignment with responsible gaming (RG), GDPR and operator compliance requirements.

Chaim Heber, CEO of Cevro AI, added: “For us, partnering with EveryMatrix is a significant moment for Cevro AI. It’s proof that empathic AI is ready for the biggest operators in the industry. Our mission is to help brands deliver support that feels human at any scale, and this partnership accelerates that vision in a meaningful way.”

Nige Roberts, Founding Sales Lead at Cevro AI, commented: “Empathic AI is the future of iGaming support. EveryMatrix recognised that instantly. This partnership accelerates that future worldwide.”

The post EveryMatrix Selects Cevro AI to Provide Operators with Fully Integrated empathic AI Support Agents appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bet It Drives

Bet It Drives Season 3 Premiere: Eman Pulis on Legacy, Risk, and Why Rome Changes Everything

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Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was SiGMA World.

But when Eman Pulis rolls through the Eternal City in Season 3 of Bet It Drives, he’s not just another iGaming founder with a war story. He’s the gladiator who fought COVID, broken rules, outplayed industry skeptics—and came out building schools in Ethiopia while running eight conferences across three continents.

“Now I’m free,” Eman says, quoting Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack—his victory song for after SiGMA Central Europe wrapped and the chaos settled. Free from the rules that almost sank him. Free to build tribes, not just teams. Free to prove that legacy beats profit, every single time.

Season 3 of Bet It Drives, powered by GR8 Tech and hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, CSO, launches where champions are made: on the road, in motion, with no script and nowhere to hide. Rome sets the stage. Eman brings the empire.

In the episode, Eman reveals:

  • The COVID gamble that saved SiGMA: How 14,000 people walked through doors that were supposed to stay shut—and why he’d do it again
  • Why Rome, why now: The strategy behind planting the flag in Europe’s second-biggest gaming market (and why Malta stays in the picture)
  • From beach in Phuket to existential crisis: The moment everything felt too perfect—two weeks before COVID hit
  • 350 people, 8 offices, one tribe: How a multicultural team became SiGMA’s secret weapon across Manila, São Paulo, Cyprus, and beyond
  • Business is done between people, not brands: The mantra that turned boozy Malta meetups into a global events empire
  • Politics or impact? Why helping millions through the foundation beats governing 400,000 people in Malta
  • The “zoom out” rule: Crisis survival advice from someone who almost became redundant overnight

We covered a lot of ground—literally and figuratively,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech and host of Bet It Drives. “And Rome was the perfect place to kick off Season 3. The city represents where the industry is right now—ancient foundations, modern chaos, and endless opportunity.

Season 3 keeps the momentum rolling with upcoming episodes featuring Valentina Diaco and Karolina Pelc—two more amazing leaders with stories worth hearing.

Watch or listen to Season 3, Episode 1 with Eman Pulis on:

The arena is open. The conversations have started. Season 3 of Bet It Drives is here—and it’s just the beginning.

The post Bet It Drives Season 3 Premiere: Eman Pulis on Legacy, Risk, and Why Rome Changes Everything appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Belatra

Belatra invites players down to the Frozen Barrel Tavern to celebrate the festive season

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Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has rolled out the red carpet to the Frozen Barrel Tavern to celebrate the festive season. Players are warmly welcomed into a cosy winter tavern that radiates holiday cheer and buzzes with Christmas chatter.

In the standard game and free games feature, winning symbols explode and the empty positions are replaced with new symbols until no further wins occur. Big symbols that land are either 2×2 or 3×3 and act the same as 4 or 9 identical standard symbols. The large x2 and x3 barrels substitute for 4 or 9 identical standard symbols and also multiply the Global Multiplier above the reels.

During the Base Game and Bonus Games, multiplier symbols ranging from 2x to 250x can land. After each cycle, all multiplier symbols are added together, and if the Cumulative Multiplier is greater than 1, it is included. The winning total, visible at the top of the reels, is multiplied by this amount. Flying barrels have the potential to enter the fun and will replace the non-winning symbol with the multiplier symbol.

The Cumulative Multiplier begins at 1 at the start of both the base game and the Free Games round. During Free Games, any Multipliers that appear on the reels are added to the Cumulative Multiplier at the end of each spin, and the updated value carries over to the next Free Game. When the round ends, the total winnings are multiplied by the combined value of the reel Multipliers and the Cumulative Multiplier, if it is greater than 1.

Players finding four or more Scatters on the reels will be awarded with 10 Free Games. Three or more Scatters in Free Games trigger five more Free Games – the limit is capped at 100.

Tis’ the season, so the Frozen Barrel Tavern has a Happy Hour. Six Scatters appearing triggers the special Bonus game. Here the initial Cumulative Multiplier takes a value between 2 to 10, big wins appear more often, and the maximum win is 12000x.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented: “Frozen Barrel Tavern is the perfect place to celebrate the holidays – and hopefully land some big wins. Warm lights, fun features, and a touch of seasonal magic make this festive treat a fantastic addition to our portfolio.”

The post Belatra invites players down to the Frozen Barrel Tavern to celebrate the festive season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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