About this app
What is Number King?
In May, an investigation under the title “Operation Turbo” charged an Auckland man on eight counts under the Gambling Act.
The man was charged in connection with two illegal poker venues allegedly operating in central Auckland.
The DIA’s crackdown on land-based gambling in New Zealand is occurring alongside the liberalisation of the online sector, with the market set to launch in 2027.
How to play Number King
Sponsorship activities involving children and adolescents, schools, and youth sports categories are also prohibited. Betting companies will also be banned from associating their brand with campaigns or projects related to mental health, suicide prevention, financial education, treatment of gambling disorders, social assistance, prevention of over-indebtedness or protection of vulnerable families.
Operators may not use data from individuals who have self-excluded, are undergoing treatment, or have requested to block marketing in order to attempt to reactivate them. Repeated or intrusive messages and offers directed at users who have reduced their gaming frequency, registered significant losses, triggered limits or shown signs of risky behaviour are also prohibited.
The text also bans exploiting situations of economic crisis, unemployment, debt, emotional distress, grief, anxiety, depression, loneliness, or other conditions of vulnerability to attract, retain or reactivate gamblers.
What is Number King?
The two join Amy Hind and Craig Williams, who pleaded guilty to these offences on 29 June 2026.
Sentencing for Lee, Lee and Hind is set for 23 October 2026 at Southwark Crown Court. Williams will be sentenced at a later date. The Gambling Commission has said trials for the remaining ten defendants will take place in September 2027 and January 2028.
The Commission launched its investigation into various reports of insider betting on the election date in June 2024 after Ladbrokes flagged a bet placed by Williams, who was recorded as a politically exposed person.
