NZ Illegal Poker Host Ordered by Court to Surrender NZ$620K

A man from Lower Hutt, a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, convicted of money laundering and illegal gambling, was recently ordered by a court to forfeit a sum of nearly NZ$620,000 ($369,200). The case involved a man identified with the initials T.M.T., who was convicted of organizing high-stake poker games both online and at retail venues.

Earlier this week, Justice Peter Churchman ordered the Lower Hutt man to forfeit a total of NZ$619,692 ($369,000), as announced by the New Zealand Herald. The judge considered that the aforementioned sum was obtained by the man through unlawful activities. The forfeiture was ordered under the country’s Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act.

Similar to other countries across the globe, New Zealand has established regulations that seek to seize assets obtained through criminal activities. In this particular case, the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act permits the confiscation of assets obtained through illegal gambling. What’s more, it seeks to serve as a deterrence for people who may consider unlawful activities to obtain assets.

Law enforcement said that the most recent case should be considered as an example to anyone considering unlawful activities. “This should serve as a reminder that police will continue to target those who profit from any manner of criminal offenses, including those investigated and prosecuted by other enforcement agencies such as the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA),” the police said.

A Two-Year Investigation Helped Uncover the Unlawful Activity

Earlier this year, T.M.T. received a fine of NZ$16,500 ($9,800) after a DIA investigation. This spring, the man pleaded guilty to one charge of money laundering under the Crimes Act of 1961 and three charges of illegal gambling under the Gambling Act 2003. The charges followed an extensive investigation which helped uncover that the man accumulated substantial proceeds from illegal gambling in person and via online gambling platforms.

“This type of large scale organized illegal gambling is driven by personal gain and avoids any responsibility for the harm it causes our communities,“

said John Sneyd, general manager of regulatory services at DIA

DIA’s investigation, called “Operation Ace” was ongoing for two years. The extensive probe uncovered transfers between the man’s personal bank account and accounts tied to the unlawful gambling operation.

Late last month, the government in New Zealand opened an online casino licensing process. This marked a major move toward the regulation of iGaming. Besides effectively regulating online gambling, the country intends to generate tax revenue and decrease problem gambling.