New Zealand Government Investigates Online Gambling Ads - 12-24-07

December 24 - Now here's a funny one for your Christmas stocking, The Kiwis, (or shall I say New Zealanders), are up in arms about an online gambling ad shown on a a free to air 'chennel'. Murphy decided to pounce and the ad was seen by the nine year old daughter of the Chief Executive of The Problem Gambling Association. Talk about fate.

The ad featured PokerStars.net and was seen on New Zealand's TV3 television channel and is now the subject of an Internal Affairs Department investigation.

The New Zealand Herald reported that the nine-year-old was watching The Simpsons when the ad was screened to the dismay of John Stansfield, from the  Problem Gambling Foundation.

The television channel stands by its decision and reported that the ad had the all-clear from the Television Commercials Approval Bureau who act on standards set by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Apparently the Internal Affairs Department will take a decision on what action will be taken in January.

Stansfield said that the ad encouraged young people to play poker, and that it was a game of skill that they could become good at if the practiced a lot. Oh dear! That sounds like, well, poker John! 

The ad will no doubt be controversial as New Zealand's Gambling Act bans online gambling, unless it is promoted by the Lotteries Commission. It explicitly bans "advertising for overseas gambling".

Now how about we don't let our nine year olds watch rubbish like the Simpsons in the first place? Then they won't end up seeing online poker ads. Better yet, why don't we ban the Simpson's. The world can only be a better place without the shameless promotion of rebellious, idiotic behavior in the name of "comedy".

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