SkyCity is defending its use of its premier membership scheme as a contact tracing tool as it prepares to open up its casinos on Thursday.
All businesses must have some form of contact tracing system in order to operate, so health authorities can track people if any Covid-19 cases emerge.
The casino giant says when it opens on Thursday, only members will be able to access the gaming floors.
Anyone who wants to enter on a later date will have to join up to the scheme.
The Problem Gambling Foundation is outraged.
“SkyCity do not need to use the rewards programme as a tool to contact trace, there’s many other apps and things they could use,” the Problem Gambling Foundation's Andree Froude told 1 NEWS.
The rewards scheme offers a range of benefits, including gaming credits, and it raises privacy concerns.
Contact tracing should only be used for its strict purpose – not for any other means.
“This seems to be a quantum leap in terms of using technology for a supposedly good purpose but with unintended consequence," privacy lawyer Clive Elliott said.
SkyCity says it’s not using it as a way to increase membership or encourage gambling, but has a comprehensive contact tracing tool.
Anyone who joins the membership scheme must provide photo identification, which may be used for facial recognition technology.
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