Auckland Man Sentenced for Sending Fake Gambling Grant Applications

J.G., a 24-year-old man from Auckland, New Zealand, has been sentenced to six months of home detention after attempting to fraudulently obtain $73,000 through the submission of false gambling grant applications. 

He Impersonated Two Community Organizations 

The man admitted guilt to three offenses at Auckland District Court. The list included the illegal use of a computer to engage in fraudulent activities, using false records, and manipulating documents with the aim of misleading others.

The charges were triggered by the investigation run by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), which revealed that J.G. had engaged in dishonest activities between April and July 2023. 

He accessed the online grant application portal of the Aotearoa Gaming Trust and falsely represented himself as two different community organizations in four separate applications for funding. 

In addition to these fraudulent applications, he forged documents to create the illusion that he held management positions within the respective organizations.

Despite his attempts, the Aotearoa Gaming Trust rejected all four applications and reported the matter to the DIA. No grant money was ever awarded to the man.

The DIA’s investigation included the execution of a search warrant at the man’s home, where officials discovered electronic devices containing evidence of his criminal activity. 

Attempts to Manipulate the System, Not Tolerated

The DIA’s director of gambling, Vicki Scott, emphasized the seriousness of the offense. 

“The community grants system is an integral part of the class 4 (pokies) system. Deliberate attempts to manipulate that system for personal gain will not be tolerated,” Scott said.

The director further emphasized the need to guarantee that all grants are fairly distributed to legitimate community organizations and do not reach the hands of criminals seeking to exploit the system. 

“Our goal is to make sure grant funding goes to the genuine communities and organizations who need it, not into the pockets of criminals. We take the integrity of the grants process very seriously.”

Scott also reinforced the DIA’s commitment to investigating all forms of gambling-related criminal activity while continuing to “hold people to account where we see unlawful behavior.”

At the end of January, we reported on the case of a 48-year-old man who received a prison sentence of 48 months for stealing hundreds of thousands from investors in a sports betting fund that he created.