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26 Jan 2026 9:45

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A Christchurch company director will be sentenced in May - after pleading guilty to gambling offences linked to New Zealand's largest-ever illegal lottery

A Christchurch company director will be sentenced in May - after pleading guilty to gambling offences linked to New Zealand's largest-ever illegal lottery

26 January 2026

Waiariki McIlroy-Jones - the director and owner of Jonez LRD Limited - entered the pleas in court on Friday, following a Department of Internal Affairs investigation that began in 2023.

Gambling Director Vicki Scott says the illegal lottery generated more than 11-million dollars in revenue in just over a year.

She says such lotteries must be licensed for community benefit, but this one was run for personal gain.

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