Game Over for Papua New Guinea Mobile Gambling Plans?

In late October the Papua New Guinea Lottery system became available to mobile phone users. Now just weeks later, the system has been taken offline.

Buffalo Bill’s

Plans to offer a mobile phone lottery service throughout Papua New Guinea have been abandoned due to public outcry.

A few weeks ago the National Gaming Control Board of Papua New Guinea granted PNG Lotto a license to offer mobile gambling services. The lottery group Digicel mobile phone company to offer lottery services to customers via mobile phones.

The plan has been put on hold after an extremely negative reaction from the public. The primary concern is the fact that many children under the age of 18 in Papua New Guinea have access to mobile phones, and parents and churches have expressed concern about how the new mobile phone gambling service may affect children.

The delay is just temporary, says PNG Lotto’s Chief Executive Paul Siwi. “The suspension will allow for further consultations with community leaders and a review to ensure that PNG Lotto is meeting all of the conditions of the license awarded by the Gaming Board.”

The mobile lottery service, like all mobile casinos, intended to include age checks and proof of identification when collecting winnings, but it seems this wasn’t enough for PNG parents.