Gold Carp Bonanza

What is Gold Carp Bonanza?

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted unanimously last week that Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association cannot disconnect the Upper Sioux Community’s Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort over its 2.5-megawatt solar project.

Minnesota Valley, a small cooperative utility serving parts of western Minnesota, claimed the 2.5-megawatt array vastly exceeded the 40-kilowatt limit it sets for members. The utility threatened to cut off electricity to the casino if the tribal nation turned the system on.

The ruling means the array—which has sat unused for a year and a half despite being fully built—can finally be switched on once an independent engineer completes a safety review and the tribe resolves any resulting technical recommendations.

What is Gold Carp Bonanza?

Under Section 106 of New Zealand’s Gambling Act 2003, a class 4 licence holder, also known as a “corporate society” by the regulator, “must apply or distribute the net proceeds from class 4 gambling only to or for an authorised purpose specified in the corporate society’s licence”.

The DIA worked directly with class 4 gambling operators (commonly known as pokies trusts), and discovered ‘widespread issues’ such as cases where money that should have been available for community grants was instead spent on society expenses, such as the purchase of additional gaming machines.

Vicki Scott, the DIA’s director of gambling, said the investigation had delivered significant results, while stressing that work to improve compliance and ensure communities received their share of gambling proceeds would continue.

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“Our position is unequivocal. Betting is an adult activity. Operators must maintain effective age verification, marketing must not target or appeal to children and regulators; parents, schools and communities must reinforce the same message.”

As part of Africa Safer Gambling Week, the AiA has also focused on the illegal market, with Kesitilwe highlighting that offshore operators are harmful for player protection.

For Kesitilwe, tackling the illegal market is not just a regulatory priority but a fundamental player protection issue.