An independent audit has confirmed that there is no evidence of money being skimmed or misappropriated from Christchurch Casino’s gaming machines, Internal Affairs Minister, Rick Barker, said today. Evaluating the reliability of the casino’s DACOM system included checking the installation of the gaming machines, interface controllers, cashier’s station, network hubs and cabling, assessing operational procedures, checking system behaviour under a range of conditions, reviewing security and access privileges to the IT infrastructure and verifying software.

Two reports on investigations undertaken by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) into allegations around the Christchurch Casino were released by Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker today. “The first of these looks into allegations made that DIA Casino Inspectors eat for free at the Christchurch Casino. This report advises this is not the case,” said Rick Barker.

National Party frontbencher Gerry Brownlee is a director of a company in New Zealand's troubled casino industry. Brownlee says he became a director of a new consultancy firm, New Zealand Casino Services Ltd, registered on June 1, to clean up an industry beset by scandal. The firm, which was established to provide advice on gaming procedures and legislation, is headed by Stephen Lyttelton and Peter Arbuckle, both former top executives at the Christchurch Casino who have resigned in the past month.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Rick Barker has asked his department to investigate claims of loan sharking and financial mismanagment at the Christchurch Casino. A spokesperson for the minister says he takes the allegations very seriously, and is awaiting the outcome of a report by Internal Affairs into the casino before he will make any further comment.