New Zealand working group to study ways to defeat online betting sites

New Zealand’s Racing Minister is making good on his pledge to reduce or eliminate his countrymen’s access to international online betting sites.

On Thursday, Racing Minister Nathan Guy (pictured) announced the formation of a working group to determine the scale of New Zealand gamblers’ use of online betting options other than the New Zealand Racing Board’s TAB site. In November, Guy had declared cutting off the flow of funds to international sites to be his “number one priority.”

The working group will begin its work this month and will deliver a progress report to the Department of Internal Affairs by June 30. A draft report of the group’s conclusions is due by Sept. 1 and the final report will arrive Sept. 30.

Chairing the group will be former Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain, who retired from politics last year. Other members include NZ Racing Board CEO John Allen, fellow board member Greg McCarthy, Sport New Zealand chairman Sir Paul Collins and two unidentified Internal Affairs officials.