The Government's newly introduced Online Casino Gambling (OCG) Bill has been met with backlash from some on  New Zealand's leading sporting bodies.

The legislation would regulate online casinos and allow them to operate in New Zealand, but concerns have been raised that the bill won't make them return community funding grants.

Cycling NZ Chair Martin Snedden says this bill poses as risk to the future of local sport - as it benefits greatly from such grants.

"Sport thrived off the back of that - at the moment, sports are really struggling with the economic environment, accessing sponsorship money's impossible. Local Governments are naturally pulling back because they're in financial trouble themselves, there's a whole confluence of economic problems."

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