Internal Affairs has mounted a crackdown on big spot prizes at expos and fishing competitions, warning organisers they constitute illegal gambling.
Officials have sent cease-and-desist letters to 15 organisations, informing them that events with an entry fee cannot have door giveaways, raffles or barrel draws with prizes worth more than $500.
Beach and Boat Fishing Competition organiser Tony Wheeler has put ticket sales to New Zealand's biggest fishing tournament on hold, after receiving the letter this month. He is scrambling to figure out how to comply with the Department of Internal Affairs' strict conditions.
Only certain licensed organisations, like the Lotteries Commission, charitable trusts and SkyCity casino, are allowed to run games of chance.
The crackdown comes after a complaint from a pokies trust, which argued that its business was being undermined by events like A&P shows and trade shows that give away spot prizes such as cars, boats and holidays.
Wheeler's annual competition is the biggest fishing tournament in the country with 2100 competitors and more than $220,000 worth of spot prizes, including a boat and a car. The heavily-promoted $100,000 prize for catching a special snapper - tagged by the officials and thrown back in - is alleged to breach the Gambling Act.
Catching a tagged fish requires some knowledge or skill, but Internal Affairs believes winning relies on a large element of chance. Fishing competitions are still allowed to award prizes for catching the most fish, or the biggest fish, because this is regarded as skill.
Internal Affairs spokesman Trevor Henry said the department had been working since February to clarify whether spot prizes were a breach of the law, following a complaint from a pokie trust. The legal position was clarified last month.
"The department immediately wrote to the organisers of as many of these types of events that it was aware of," Henry said. "Prize draws at tournaments and trade have to comply with the Gambling Act 2003 because they involve an element of chance and are therefore gambling."
Wheeler said the spot prizes made the competition a family event, giving even children as good a chance of winning as experienced fishers.
Prizes for catching the most fish, on the other hand, created a bloodthirsty competition.
"The moment we put a big prize on a fish, it turns into a slaughterhouse. It encourages over-fishing and it encourages people to cheat," Wheeler said. "We're running a family event. We want the kids to be able to have a fun weekend - that's the beauty of doing spot prizes."
Wheeler said the event injected around $2.2 million into the Ruakaka economy each year. Accommodation and charter boats were already fully booked for this summer's event, scheduled for February.
Last year's winner, Ruakaka father-of-five Darron Kaiki, was appalled at the threat to the event that he attends every year with his kids.
Kaiki won a grand entry prize of a Ramco boat with a Yamaha motor and assorted fishing accessories worth $41,329.
"Everyone's there fishing and having a good time," he said. "I think it would be sad to lose events like these. This is too controlling - it's like the fun police."
Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Classic organiser Srecko Urlich also received the letter. His event has been on hold for two years but in the past spot prizes included cars, boats and holidays - all donated by sponsors.
Champion fisherman Rob Parker (picture), who won $50,000 for catching a tagged fish in the Snapper Classic, said Internal Affairs' enforcement approach had "got out of hand". "We're talking about fishing, for crying out loud. I've been doing these competitions for 20 years," he said. "As far as gambling goes, it's not really."
Big Boys Toys organiser Dean Wilson said his event also gave out door prizes in a barrel draw, but he has not yet received a cease-and-desist letter. "It seems crazy," he said.
Problem Gambling Foundation chief executive Graeme Ramsey said it was "ironic" that a pokie trust had complained about events that brought families together.
"I don't think problem gamblers are going to be entering these draws," he said. "They are going to be at the pokies, more likely."
Wankers. No point in asking Shrecko about the 90 mile comp either he ran away with all the money a coupla years back. They should have got the opinion of the new 90 mile Snapper Bonanza.
There needs to be an element of care in a discussion such as this. First you need to identify between an amateur sport and a professional sport. To compare fishing with golf, both are overwhelmingly amateur sports. In golf a player is not allowed to win a prize valued in excess of $500.00 or they will be declared a professional, thereby banning themselves from all amateur competitions.
Fishing is an amateur sport and many competitions are now offering huge prizes to attract competitors. Like it or not, it was pretty obvious that before long the value of prizes would be looked at. The alternative would be to have entry fees taxed, as they are in the racing industry.
Immediate knee jerk reactions are to be expected but it really needs to be thought through, even the prizes in some tombola or bingo competitions are restricted to a very small amount. Not saying any of this is right or wrong, it just needs to be given a little serious thought.
It's hard to call oneself an amateur angler when negotiating with a minister for fish concessions and increased limits, when there are prizes of $100,000.00 at stake in some amateur fishing competitions.
I tend to agree with Hangler on this one. It is an issue that was going to be caught up with sooner or later. Sadly with the IA Gestapo and the IRD looking for any way of stripping the multitudes of their hard and honestly earned cash, advertising huge amounts of money or prizes for merely catching a fish, or worse, just being in right place or having the right ticket is just a big huge red flag. Also to be fair to the person who has raised this issue, maybe he should be thanked for getting it out in the open as these comps have been noticed by many other gambling fraternities. I agree though that it is another blight on the continual squeezing of our freedoms.
This reeks of big-brother/nanny-state politics. Who the hell decided this needed to be "governed" in the first place? These so called "governing bodies" are supposed to work FOR the people. Of late, nearly every decision thrust upon us seems to be AGAINST the will of the people. This is just another bunch of suits working hard at keeping themselves employed in the Department of Public Restrictions.
This particular issue doesn't affect me directly as I don't enter comp's, but the underlying theme of control and more control over the lives of Kiwis gives me the shits.
The trouble is, everyone will lie down and accept that they can do nothing about it.
I hate pen pushers who try to enforce bullshit and look for things that are not there. Let people have fun, it's been going for years, drama free, keep it that way.Wairoa Hawkesbay
I don't believe you will find there is anything in the legislation that prevents fun. What is being set out to achieve is that laws are in place to prevent uncontrolled gambling, especially when prizes are open to those of a more sinister nature.
If gambling laws are interpreted and implemented properly, it actually works to protect the innocent participant angler from those who may be tempted to fiddle, and please don't kid yourself this doesn't happen. It has in the past and will again in the future should huge value prizes be on offer.
Far from being detrimental, in the long run this move could be exactly what is needed.
Many years ago I attended a surfcasting competition, a huge event where the winning fish was announced and the angler stepped forward to claim a very substantial payout. He took the microphone and announced to the audience he wished to thank them for attending and then informed everyone he had purchased the winning fish from a docked trawler that very morning. He did this simply to prove competitions could be fiddled.
The angler was named Leslie Moncrief, the man who designed the reverse taper surfcasting rod. He was quite a character but a person who could see that where there is a large sum of money, it is open to cheating.
Sadly there is a Competition that has announced and paid out to a winner for a fish that has never been seen nor the weight given has never been bettered before or after the comp. I mean never. This has happened two years in a row. But this is not the total issue. It is that the prizes are getting out of control. Local Competitions like the Rotorua SCC, Pania Kahawai Comp etc should be fine. Unfortunately the law is the law is the law. It's not about right or wrong.
Instead of giving away a boat or [other high value item] on the barrel draw, give away the anchor and rope, value $499. Any winner of the anchor and rope is entitled to BUY the boat for $1.00
So you're the lucky winner sir? Sorry that's not government sanctioned luck. You can't have it...
That sounds a good idea Racepics, the only problem being it would have the government's IRD department clamping down on all competitions, regardless of the size of prizes, to check on blatant abuse.
It encourages me to ask what happened to the days when we fished competitions for the thrill of winning and sheer enjoyment?
From memory, and I happily stand to be corrected, but in the early days the major prize in the Ninety Mile surfcasting competition used to be a lawnmower ... it seems to have grown somewhat.
on 22/10/2012, 5:00 pm
looking for any way of stripping the multitudes of their hard and honestly earned cash, advertising huge amounts of money or prizes for merely catching a fish, or worse, just being in right place or having the right ticket is just a big huge red flag.
Also to be fair to the person who has raised this issue, maybe he should be thanked for getting it out in the open as these comps have been noticed by many other gambling fraternities. I agree though that it is another blight on the continual squeezing of our freedoms. 
This has happened two years in a row. 
