New Zealand Internal Affairs Describes the $10 Million Mega Moolah Jackpot Win as Suspicious

On 17th of June Rawiri Pou (27), a New Zealand fast food worker, hit a NZ$10,144,395.82 (around $7.2 million) jackpot on Microgaming’s popular progressive slot Mega Moolah. The player got lucky at Casinoland right after he first scooped NZ$1,500 and decided to keep playing. However, his win was overshadowed by the Department of Internal Affairs’ decision to look into the “suspicious” occurrence.

Andree Froude, a representative of the Problem Gambling Foundation, has raised concerns about the global gaming group Casinoland pointing out that promoting international casino sites in New Zealand was illegal. Froude revealed that the organisation made a complaint to the Department of Internal Affairs, which was reportedly investigating the situation.

According to information provided by the winner Pou, he deposited NZ$250 at the casino and then initially won NZ$1,500. He decided to put it back for the jackpot round and ended up winning a life-changing amount of cash. The player, accompanied by his mother, was driven to Auckland by the operator where a press conference regarding the win was held.

This is the moment that the PGF found problematic, explaining that online gambling wasn’t regulated in the environment and that there were lots of scams. The representative Froude warned people to be “very very cautious.”

Even Pou, who described his feelings at the time of the win as overwhelming, scary and exciting, warned people to think before they act. He said that even though he won, people shouldn’t think that they were going to win as well.

Internal Affairs, on the other hand, gave a statement to Te Kaea saying that Casinoland weren’t brought to the Department’s attention. Nonetheless, they revealed that the Department would be following up the situation because of other reports of massive wins in online lottery scams.

Just like Froude highlighted – until the cash is transferred into the winner’s bank account there’s no cause to celebrate.