The Department of Internal Affairs

The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation

 

Services › Casino and Non-Casino Gaming › Gambling Technical Equipment

Under section 326(2)(a) of the Gambling Act 2003, it is a condition of every Class 4 venue licence and casino operator's licence, that all gambling equipment used for the purposes of the licence must comply with relevant minimum standards (view a full description of Classes of Gambling).

The Act allows for the making of minimum standards under section 327:

    Under section 327(1): The Secretary may prescribe minimum standards for the design, manufacture, and performance of any particular gambling equipment or class of gambling equipment and may at any time amend or revoke any minimum standard.

    Under section 327(2): Minimum standards may, without limitation, include requirements that gambling equipment - (a) has features designed to reduce the likelihood of problem gambling or other harm arising from its use; (b) is capable of being monitored and controlled electronically.
The following links are to PDF* versions of the New Zealand Gazette notices, summary cover sheets, the Gambling Act (Casino Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard and the Gambling Act (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard 2004.

Minimum Equipment Standard - Harm Prevention and Minimisation

The minimum equipment standards for game and player information displays on gaming machines as required by the Gambling (Harm Prevention and Minimisation) Regulations 2004 were notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 1 September 2005.

The minimum equipment standards for game and player information displays apply to all "new gaming machines" purchased on or after 1 October 2005 and to all gaming machines after 1 July 2009.

This memo is designed to explain the scope of the definition of a "new gaming machine" as contained in the Gambling (Harm Prevention and Minimisation) Regulations 2004: Explanation of a 'New Gaming Machine' (PDF, 9K)*

Updated and consolidated versions of these standards

The harm prevention and minimisation gaming machine standards have been incorporated into the New Zealand Casino and Class 4 gambling appendices to the Australian/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standards Revision 10.0 (see below).


Cashless Gambling

The Department has written a position paper to discuss Cashless Gambling (PDF, 292K)* and on what basis, if any, it should be permitted.

The purpose of this paper is:
  • to consider on what basis, if any, the Department of Internal Affairs would permit cashless gambling in New Zealand
  • to determine, based on the above, the most appropriate operational response to cashless technologies currently in use in New Zealand gambling venues, and other mechanisms that permit players to load more than $20 at a time into a gaming machine
  • to consider the most appropriate operational response to cashless technologies, particularly pre-commitment capable technologies (whether cashless or not), not currently available in New Zealand gambling venues.

Gambling Act (Casino Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard

Casino Gaming Machine Equipment Standards

The minimum standards for casino gaming machine equipment are the:

Other Casino Gambling Equipment Standards

The minimum standards for casino monitoring systems are the: The minimum standards for casino jackpot systems are the: Equipment specifications are also contained in the Rules of Games notified in the New Zealand Gazette by the Casino Control Authority under Section 63 of the Casino Control Act 1990. These Rules of Games, as incorporated into the minimum equipment standards by the Secretary for Internal Affairs on 15 June 2004 and through subsequent amendments, appear on this site as a consolidated version.

The minimum standards for other casino gambling equipment are as follows:

Rules of Casino Keno, Racing Game and Gaming Machines Rules of Casino Table Games View the Index of New Zealand Gazette references (PDF, 22K)* for the publication and subsequent amendment dates of the Rules of Games. This consolidated version does not replace the official version of the rules and gambling equipment standards as found in the New Zealand Gazette. The rules and gambling equipment standards as published in the New Zealand Gazette take precedence as the official version of these rules and gambling equipment standards.


Gambling Act (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard

Class 4 Gaming Machine Equipment Standards

The minimum standard for 'Class 4' gaming machine equipment is the:

Minimum Technical Requirements for EMS: Cabling and Site Controller

The minimum equipment standards for cabling Class 4 venues for connection to EMS were notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 8 September 2005. A successful cable install will require careful consideration of this minimum standard and the documents it incorporates.

The standard incorporates specifications produced by the Queensland Office of Gaming Regulation. This in turn is based upon specifications for the physical cabling and connection as designed and produced by Agilent Technologies. Links to the incorporated Queensland documents are below and the Agilent documents are available on Agilent technologies website: www.agilent.com

Link here to the relevant documents: Link here to the incorporated specifications: A minor amendment has been made to this standard regarding the bend radius for cabling: A further amendment has been made to this standard and is reflected in the consolidated version above.

Minimum Technical Requirements for EMS: QCOM Protocol version 1.6.3

There has been an amendment to the Minimum Technical Requirements for EMS (QCOM Version 1.6.3) (PDF, 89K)*, as notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 16 December 2010.

The 'Minimum Technical Requirements for EMS: QCOM Protocol Version 1.6.3' as advised in the New Zealand Gazette on 29 October 2009, replaced those requirements previously specified for EMS ('QCOM Version 1.5.5'), where indicated. The standard (except the gaming machine requirements) applies to all Intralot provided systems and processes from 30 October 2009 and to the gaming machine requirements to all gaming machines from 1 April 2010. The amendment of 16 December 2010 amends the implementation date only and the previous version is unchanged in content. The gaming machine requirements will apply to all gaming machines from 1 July 2011.

Here are the incorporated specifications:

The use of EMS "Sniffer" Technology and Venue Management Systems

An advisory letter was sent to all Class 4 societies and gaming machine manufacturers explaining the Electronic Monitoring System (Cabling and Site Controller) Minimum Equipment Standards that came into force on 8 August 2008 to allow for "sniffer" technology.

EMS Gaming Machine QCOM Meters

The following table shows the differences in names and functionality between QCOM meters and the 'standard' gaming machine meters you have used prior to EMS. Note that while the full names have been shown, you may find that they have been abbreviated when displayed on gaming machine audit screens. QCOM meters can usually be readily identified because they are either displayed in separate 'groups' i.e. Group 0, 1 or 2 (as per the table), or they have a numerical 'ID' e.g. a single number ranging from 1-46 , or a hexadecimal reference like this: '0x14'.

Minimum Technical Requirements for Linked Jackpot Systems Version 2.0

As notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 18 November 2010:

Previous Standards and Amendments

Gambling Act (Casino Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard

Gambling Act (Class 4 Gambling Equipment) Minimum Standard

The minimum technical standards for linked jackpot systems were notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 5 November 2009:

Minimum Equipment Standard - Harm Prevention and Minimisation

Updated and consolidated versions of these standards:
Note: These standards were amended in August 2008. However the harm minimisation requirements for National Standard 9.0 are, except for some minor changes to assist in implementation and testing, identical to those for National Standards 6.01 and 7.0.

Minimum Technical Requirements for EMS: QCOM Protocol version 1.5.5

The minimum equipment standards for the QCOM Protocol were notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 25 May 2006. The standard incorporates specifications produced by the Queensland Office of Gaming Regulation.
An amendment has been made to this standard. Please read in conjunction with the full standard above. Here are the incorporated specifications:
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