The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling uncovered

His name probably rings a bell for you. Well, today we tell you everything about this public entity, and why you need its protection when you play online.

The importance of the Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) it lies in its ability to regulate gambling establishments in New Zealand, including all pages of casinos and online bookmakers offering their services in our country. This is your data:

Knowing if an online game page is as easy as entering its name or web address in the DGOJ search engine. We'll tell you how to do it below.

What is the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation

The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling it is a public body of the Government of New Zealand, under the Secretary of State and part of the Ministry of Finance. It is who determines which operators are legal and which are not, granting them the general license and specific licenses for each of the games they offer.

In his own words: “it exercises the functions of regulation, authorization, supervision, control and, where appropriate, sanction of gambling activities at the state level.”

How the organization works

Gambling regulations have existed for a long time before online casinos, but since this sector was legally regulated in our country in 2012, the General Directorate of Gaming Regulation has grown to adapt to the new times.

Its organizational chart is divided into three general subdirectories: one for the Regulation of Gambling, another for the Inspection of Gambling and a last one dedicated to Management and Institutional Relations.

It also has a Responsible Gambling Advisory Council made up of six gambling operators (2 nationals + 2 foreigners + 1 subject to gambling reservation + 1 contests and other games), two associations for the treatment of gambling disorders, a research center on problem gambling, three social and / or academic entities, two Autonomous Communities that participate through the Gambling Policy Council, the Ministry of Health and Social Services and Equality and the Government Delegation for the National Drug Plan.

Advantages of playing in casinos regulated by the General Directorate of Gaming Regulation

By playing online you expose your personal data and invest money. Gambling licenses verify that the operator before whom you do it is really trustworthy: that your data is confidential, your deposit and the collection of winnings are insured, and you can exercise your rights if there is a problem.

Player protection

The DGOJ establishes that any casino that offers online gambling services in New Zealand has to comply with legal and technical requirements, and be limited only to those gambling activities that have been previously regulated.

The law states that there are four essential advantages that all online gambling websites have to provide to players. First of all, the rules and conditions have to be clear and accessible. It is the operator's obligation to report all of them, and to do so with transparent language. In addition, the pages have to offer guarantees that their game is honest, and they do not practice cheating or any kind of scam. Operators also have to ensure the security of payment methods: this includes deposits, payments and of course collections.

Finally, the DGOJ obliges the operators to subject all users of their pages who want to participate in the game to an identification process to verify their identity, so that access to minors and members of the self-exclusion registry is prevented. By the Data Protection Law, they also guarantee that they will not share your data without your consent.

Fair play

The checking of gambling systems is one of the main anti-fraud measures carried out by the Directorate-General for Gambling Regulation. This is carried out in two ways.

First of all, all the games that it is possible to offer in New Zealand are legally regulated and are part of a list that you can consult out heré . You will find card games like the blackjack , slot , and roulette , which work with verified random generators.

Because secondly, the DGOJ is responsible for certifying that all the technical gaming systems of the casinos are approved. That includes the software, equipment, terminals, systems and any instruments necessary for the game.

First they carry out a pre-license documentary control, through the company's technical project. They issue preliminary certification reports and, where appropriate, grant the license. During the 6 months after having obtained it, the final homologation takes place. Then they are engaged in monitoring the changes by periodically inspecting the technical systems, and every two years they also conduct an audit.

Protecting customer funds

As with gaming software, the security of the information systems of online gambling websites is also in the focus of the General Directorate of Gaming Regulation. The importance of the security of online casino systems also includes everything related to the management of the funds that players deposit into their accounts. That is why the DGOJ obliges since 2014 to offer cash guarantees to operators. Since 2014, without cash guarantees that players will get their funds back and receive their payments in case of casino bankruptcy, there is no license.

Protecting the clients' funds also implies protecting their security while using the payment methods proposed by the casino, keeping them informed of the balance of their account at all times, and the conditions by which it is governed.

In short, online casinos have to ensure that they have the tools to manage their customers' accounts, that they guarantee their security, and that they provide a secure environment for transactions.

Operator responsibilities

What would happen if there was no regulation for online gambling? That you simply would not have the right to demand anything from the operator. He could do whatever he wanted without any consequences. And how could you make sure that they are not trying to scam you, or that your account balance at the casino is not going to disappear? It really would be an impossible thing to know.

As the jurisdiction of the Directorate General for Gaming Regulation is obviously limited to the territory of New Zealand, any operator setting up an online casino for the New Zealand public (even if it is not based in New Zealand) is obliged to comply with New Zealand laws. And unlike what happens in other countries, the DGOJ acts directly in the resolution of conflicts between gaming operators and players. That's why since Estafa.Info we urge you to always play at casinos registered in New Zealand, which are licensed and therefore have all the legal guarantees. The DGOJ makes it very easy for you in this regard. It informs you of all your rights and gives you all the means to exercise them.

How to know if a casino is regulated by the General Directorate of Gaming Regulation

You already know that we only review online casinos without scams , that is, only legal casinos in New Zealand. But it never hurts to actively investigate, and that's what the licensed operators finder of the General Directorate of Gaming Regulation is for. Do not open an account and much less deposit money without having verified before that it is a legal casino. From the main page of the DGOJ you can enter its name in the search engine and see that it has in force the general license and each of the specific licenses for the games it offers.

Something very important that you can also see here are the domains registered by online casinos. Check that the web address of the site where you are going to play and the one registered in the DGOJ file are the same. This way you avoid fraud in a very simple way.

When problems arise

What can you do when you can't collect the prizes won with the bonus money? What if the casino closes your account without your consent? Reading the Terms and conditions of casino offers saves a lot of disappointment and headaches.

If you have any problems or there is something that arouses your suspicions, you do not have to allow them to abuse you. The General Directorate of Game Management acts as a mediator between players and operators when there is any conflict. It is free and with all legal guarantees. Through its Electronic Office, it processes complaints and complaints from users, issuing a resolution on the subject within three months of the request being processed. But pay attention because it only accepts complaints about state-licensed gambling operators: exactly, you can only complain about online casinos licensed in New Zealand.

How to report a problem

First of all, we recommend that you collect information: read the terms and conditions of the casino, make sure that the information is accessible and transparent (because it is one of the operator's obligations). If after doing this you are convinced that someone has acted unfairly towards you, contact the operator.

You will first have to write to the casino's customer service explaining the problem in detail. Make it clear what the problem is and what you want. If within a month the latter has not replied or you simply have not reached an agreement, you can send your complaint to the General Directorate of Game Management.

These procedures are free and can be carried out by anyone who has participated in a licensed online gambling site in New Zealand. It is not possible to file complaints about illegal games, face-to-face games, ONCE games (before the Protectorate Council) or if the problem is contractual (courts and tribunals of civil jurisdictional order).

The History of the Entity

The General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling is a public body that is part of the Ministry of Finance. It depends on the Secretary of State and has attached to it the Advisory Board on the Tax Regime of Cooperatives. It was founded in 2011 by Royal Decree 652/2011 of March 11. Its functions are regulated in Article 7 of Royal Decree 769/2017, of July 28. Since 2012 it has been the regulatory institution of online gambling in New Zealand, and since 2016 it has been headed by Juan Espinosa García. It has its own electronic headquarters for the processing of any of the necessary forms for operators and players, both for the application for licenses and for complaints, denunciations or even the payment of gaming fees.

Its objective is to create a legal framework that regulates the rights and responsibilities of remote gaming operators and players within the New Zealand scope. It maintains a policy of total transparency regarding the licenses it grants, and is concerned about making information about the different aspects of this sector accessible to everyone who needs it.

Finding

In New Zealand we have the services of one of the public institutions most involved in the regulation of online gambling. Checking their registration whenever you have doubts about a suspicious website can get rid of a scam. Playing is more fun if you do it on sites verified by competent authorities.

We hope that our article was useful to you, and helped you understand the importance of the DGOJ and what it is for. Check the list of our casinos recomenVegas Palms to meet. All of them are licensed, have the best bonuses and the best selection of games.

If you want to have the guarantees of other public institutions similar to the DGOJ, such as the Gambling Commission of the United Kingdom or the Malta Gaming Authority, you just have to take a look at our reviews about them.