The DIA launched several raids on gambling dens across Auckland. (File photo) Photo: 123RF
The Department of Internal Affairs says illegal gambling dens have been using predatory loans to ensnare vulnerable people.
In some cases, people were forced to give up their cars and homes, while others had to to sell drugs for the organisers.
It comes after the DIA launched several raids on poker dens across Auckland, seizing poker tables, chips, cash and cryptocurrency.
The venues in Albany, Botany, Epsom, Newmarket and Auckland's city centre were believed to have offered unlicensed poker games in breach of the 2003 Gambling Act.
The DIA's gambling director Vicki Scott told Morning Report some of the venues appeared to have links with Chinese criminal groups.
"There are some links, they're not all linked. We are seeing predominantly Chinese organisers and participants, and there are some links within that group, but we're still working through the evidence that we've seized," she said.
"These are quite high stakes operations, we're looking at a spend across the venues of we think about $5 million in total, and what I'm hearing is that the buy-in for these games is in the thousands... These are high rollers."
She said Aucklanders were getting into serious trouble at the venues.
"Combined with the illegal gambling is some really predatory lending practices with these operators offering credit to vulnerable people who are falling further and further into debt," Scott explained.
"I've had reports of some complainants telling us they've had to hand over significant assets like cars and houses to repay the debt, even in some cases having to work for the organisers doing things like selling drugs to repay the gambling debt they owe."
She said some of the venues operated in broad daylight, despite being illegal.
"There's some that trade as though they're lawful businesses, quite brazenly out in the open. Then there's the more underground, hidden operations," she said.
"These organisers are advertising, they're using social media to push their operations and some of them are quite brazen in terms of pulling people off the street."
The only place a person could legally play poker commercially was in a casino, Scott said. It was possible for clubs to get a licence to run a tournament but it had to be licensed by the DIA if the prize pool was over $5000.
Though the DIA had shut down nine venues, Scott said there were more out there.
"It's certainly not the full extent of it, so we really do rely on the public to report to us when they hear of or see any of these operations."
Anyone with concerns or information about illegal gambling was encouraged to contact the DIA.
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