Top Online Casinos For New Zealand
Today we’re going to delve into the gambling scene in a place known as New Zealand. We’ll shine a light on the top-drawer casinos open to Kiwi players, delve into the nation’s rich gaming history, and talk about the current legal lay of the land. We’ll dish on what to look for when choosing an online casino, the kind of perks up for grabs for New Zealand players, and the state of various gambling avenues. And of course, we’ll dive into handy payment systems and chat about the brick-and-mortar casinos in New Zealand.
Best Online Casinos For The People Of New Zealand
Although New Zealand is a small island nation, Kiwis sure know their way around the roulette wheel, splashing out over $2 billion annually on gambling.
A chunk of that change gets dropped on online casinos. That’s why it’s crucial to know how to pick out the cream of the crop when it comes to sites accepting players from New Zealand. We’ve got a list of these online casinos lined up for you, but later on, we’ll be discussing the criteria to consider when choosing an online casino in New Zealand:
Countries In One Region
Gambling in New Zealand
The roots of gambling in New Zealand stretch back to the mid-19th century. English sailors brought with them a fondness for a flutter on horse races. By the early 20th century, this had become a popular pastime, along with betting on boxing matches. The first law to formally address betting on sports was the Gambling Act of 1908, which outright banned all forms of gambling, bar horse racing. This remained the only legal form of gambling until 1951, when the first state betting shop (TAB) was opened. After that, the laws gradually loosened up, paving the way for new forms of gambling entertainment such as pokies, various lotteries, and casinos.
The Lottery History in New Zealand
The first lotteries sprang up in New Zealand in 1933, with the Golden Kiwi Lottery, established in 1961, being the first major lottery, followed by Lotto, which launched in 1987.
The History of Land-Based Slot Machines in New Zealand
In 1989, the government officially green-lighted land-based slot machines, which, as in Australia, are affectionately known as “pokies”. The mass production and distribution of pokies to various clubs kicked off in 1991.
The First Land-Based Casinos in New Zealand
The first brick-and-mortar casino is considered to be the one in Christchurch, which opened its doors in 1994. Since then, a slew of casinos has popped up in cities like Dunedin, Hamilton, Queenstown, and Auckland.
Online Casinos in New Zealand
Online casinos began to surface in 1994, with Microgaming being one of the first providers to roll out their products and organize gameplay. Subsequently, a law was passed prohibiting the operation of online casinos within New Zealand’s territory but not banning play at such casinos. As a result, owning an online casino in New Zealand is off-limits, but players have access to offshore casinos.
Legality and Regulation of Gambling
As we’ve mentioned, the gambling scene in New Zealand is quite a mixed bag. Sports betting and lotteries in New Zealand are above board, but when it comes to online casinos, things get a bit murky. Operating these ventures within New Zealand is a no-go, but throwing the dice at offshore casinos is totally fine.
The most relevant laws keeping the market in check are the Racing Act and the Gambling Act from 2003, which were spruced up a bit in 2005 and 2015. These establish four main classes of gambling games and private gaming:
Class 1
- No need to bag a license
- No slot machines involved
- Casino proceeds don’t surpass $500 per session
- If the game is run by individuals, all contributions go to the prize pot
2
- Games can only be arranged by a society
- Prizes per session don’t go over $5000
- The organizer’s take doesn’t exceed $25000
- Profits need to be funneled back into the society
- No need for a license
3
- Prizes per session don’t exceed $5000
- Can only be arranged by a society or corporate body
- No slot machines involved
- The goal must be a legit cause
- A license is required
4
- Any game that uses a slot machine outside a casino
- Can only be arranged by a corporate body
- Can only be arranged for legit purposes
Private Game
- Held in a private residence
- Aimed at providing entertainment or hosting a social event
- Organizers don’t rake in profits
- All bets are returned as prizes to winners
- Folks not living in the residence can’t join the game
- All players have an even shot at winning
There are several departments playing referee when it comes to regulating gambling:
- The Department of Internal Affairs – handles the legal aspects of the gambling biz, licenses establishments (apart from casinos), and provides info for residents
- The Gambling Commission – licenses casino operators, hears out complaints, coordinates interactions between operators and casinos.
Choosing the best online casinos in New Zealand
To suss out which online casinos in New Zealand are top dogs, we’ve created our own rating system, which includes evaluating both the casino reviews and security levels. Another important aspect is the availability of a whole range of bonuses and loyalty systems, as well as handy ways to top up your account and cash out winnings. And, of course, let’s not forget about a responsive support service and site adaptation for players who roll with mobile devices. We’ll delve deeper into each of these aspects.
Legality and Safety
Before we make nice with a casino, we always check out the validity and freshness of its license. If a license is nowhere to be found or it’s expired, we won’t add that casino to our rankings. Another important thing to consider is the level of security and data privacy.
User Feedback
You can get the players’ vibe about the casino from their feedback on various forums. The general sentiment is one of the key factors we consider when picking casinos. If an online casino is drowning in bad reviews, or if players often run into problems that the casino doesn’t fix, we won’t include it in our rankings.
Bonuses & Promotions
Another important aspect is the bonus program, which includes welcome bonuses as well as regular incentives in the form of various tournaments or a special ranking system. Those casinos that roll out the red carpet for players get added to our rankings.
Payment Systems
Having user-friendly payment systems is vital, as it allows a player to deposit money and start playing without breaking a sweat, as well as to cash out winnings in a jiffy. The best casinos always support a bunch of methods, from depositing with bank cards to various e-wallets and cryptocurrencies.
Customer Service
A round-the-clock support service is a must-have for any good casino. They should not only be quick to respond, but also provide the player with any necessary information and sort out any issues that come up. Having an online chat in the casino is also a standard for the best online casinos.
Mobile Adaptation
And, of course, we shouldn’t forget about mobile adaptation. In this day and age, heaps of people use their smartphone as their computer, so online casino gaming is no exception. In good casinos, it’s not just the games that should be adapted for mobile devices, but also the casino interface itself, making it easy to navigate between different parts of the site and deposit/withdraw funds.
Bonuses and promotions for New Zealand players
For Kiwi players, there’s a whole heap of bonuses up for grabs. This includes first deposit bonuses as well as various races and tournaments. A key feature is the presence of loyalty systems, where you bag certain points for each spin, and the more points you rack up, the higher your status and, as a result, rewards. Let’s break down each type of bonus available at online casinos in New Zealand.
Welcome Bonus
The best online casinos in New Zealand offer a broad spread of welcome bonuses. They can be anything from a top-up to your deposit, up to 500% of the deposit amount, or a certain number of free spins. Often, these bonuses come in combination and apply to not just one deposit, but several.
Regular Player Bonuses
For regular players, the best online casinos in New Zealand have special VIP systems, where you climb the ladder as you play. For each spin, you earn points that you can later exchange for cash. The higher your status, the bigger the rewards you reap. Rewards can range from free spins and increased cashback, to access to special tournaments or promotions.
Races and Tournaments
Also, various casinos often host races and tournaments. To participate, all you need to do is sign up, then play a series of tournament games and collect points. Each tournament has its own rules, such as knocking out the maximum multiplier, or the sum of all multipliers.
Sports betting in New Zealand
New Zealand’s sports betting market is vast. This is due to its complete legality and its sheer popularity among the population. The Government Betting Office (TAB) regulates the market, licensing both offline and online bookies. The most popular sports for betting include horse racing, rugby, cricket, soccer, and basketball.
This lineup is hardly surprising, as betting on horse racing became popular in the mid-19th century and hasn’t lost its appeal since. Sports like cricket and soccer are a nod to the English seafarers who brought these sports with them. Some of the most popular bookies include TonyBet, Casumo, Betway Sports, 888Sports, and WilliamHill.
The annual turnover in the online gambling entertainment industry is mind-blowing, recently hitting around $2.4 billion, with about $600 million spent on betting per year.
Convenient payment systems
For players from New Zealand, there’s a heap of ways to top up your account at an online casino or cash out your winnings.
Bank cards
Hands down the easiest and most convenient way to make a deposit in an online casino, fitting the bill for Visa/MasterCard/Maestro card holders. The fly in the ointment though is that as of April 2020, casino deposits via cards were nixed, leading to some hoops to jump through. Nonetheless, for a deposit, it’s a piece of cake – just input your card data and the security code, and voila, your cash hits the account instantly. Withdrawals are a bit more of a mixed bag since they could take from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on your bank.
PayPal
A popular e-wallet you can hook up to your card and top up your balance in a jiffy. After beefing up your balance, you can just as easily refill your online casino account or cash out your winnings. The icing on the cake compared to bank cards is the nearly instant speed of funds transfer.
PaySafeCard
A well-known operator that was recently snatched up by another big fish – Skrill. One feature worth noting is the prepaid voucher system, which you can use to pay, among other things, at online casinos, allowing you not to reveal your card details directly when making a casino deposit.
Skrill
One of the best-known e-wallets, heavily used by Kiwis. After setting up an account, you can link it to your bank card, quickly add to or withdraw funds, and use them for online shopping, including making deposits at online casinos.
Cryptocurrencies
One of the hot options allowing for a quick casino deposit practically without any fee is cryptocurrency. If you have an account on one of the popular crypto exchanges, simply top up your balance, buy the coin you need, and transfer it to the wallet specified by the casino. On average, the deposit time won’t exceed 15 minutes and depends on the cryptocurrency you’ve chosen.
NOTIFY
New Zealand is one of the most crypto-friendly countries. Buying and owning cryptocurrency can be for investment purposes or with the aim of selling it for profit. Despite not being recognized as an official payment method, the government doesn’t prohibit individuals and organizations from using it to pay for both online and offline services. Therefore, you can easily make a deposit in an online casino using cryptocurrency, as well as pay in a café, if the café accepts cryptocurrency, of course.
Popular gambling providers in New Zealand
Among the game providers, there are a few hot-shot developers that have a big draw for players in New Zealand. Their popularity can be chalked up primarily to a wide range of game mechanics and the presence of exciting bonus games that can both provide an engaging gameplay and decent winnings. We’ve put together a list of the top 5 most popular game providers available in New Zealand online casinos.
NetEnt
A renowned Swedish game provider that’s hit the big time down under. They’ve earned a name for themselves with cutting-edge innovations and mega progressive jackpots in slots like Gonzo’s Quest, Divine Fortune, and Starburst. Another key selling point is their pop culture-based slots, like Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, and of course, nail-biting game shows developed in partnership with Evolution Gaming.
Microgaming
One of the old-timers in the game, they churn out various slots, some of which might seem a bit long in the tooth, but are still in high demand. They’re known for their record-breaking jackpots in slots like Mega Moolah, even scoring a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Play’N’Go
Another hot Swedish provider, adored by players for its impressive gaming portfolio, featuring both well-known mechanics and unique homegrown designs. Worth a shout-out is the Rich Wilde series and various games developed in partnership with big-name celebs, like Tome of Madness: Alice Cooper and Kiss: Rock of Reels.
Playtech
This provider has made a splash as one of the most prolific developers, with over 700 games spanning various themes. This includes crowd-pleaser slots and a heap of live games. Notable are their killer slots developed around DC Comics, like Justice League, The Dark Knight, and Superman.
Evolution Gaming
The big kahuna of live game developers, they’ve got a string of providers under their wing, like BTG, NetEnt, Red Tiger, Ezugi. They’re hands down the best at producing game shows and live dealer games, which is why Kiwi players are head over heels for them.
Land-based casinos in New Zealand
Since land-based casinos are all above board in New Zealand, there are about half a dozen of these establishments. They’re all regulated by the New Zealand Gambling Commission, who dishes out licenses depending on the type of casino.
SkyCity in Auckland is considered the top dog, boasting over 150 gaming tables, more than 2100 slot machines, and around 240 automated gaming machines. There are also exclusive rooms for Baccarat and Poker, along with a special reward system called Premier Awards available to any registered player.
Another popular hangout is the Christchurch Casino in Christchurch. They’ve got over 500 slot machines, more than 36 gaming tables including Blackjack, Poker, and various Roulettes. They also have a swanky VIP club for high-rollers. A cool feature is their special promotions like “Thursday is a new Friday,” where you can score extra prizes during the game.
Lotteries and other gambling entertainment in New Zealand
New Zealand’s got its own committee looking after the lotteries, it’s called The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, also known as Lotto New Zealand. In New Zealand, there are four major national lotteries, including:
- Lotto – the oldest and most popular lottery with a prize pool that’s over 4 million Kiwi dollars.
- Keno – another well-known lottery, with a unique feature of four draws a day.
- Powerball NZ – a twist on the Lotto where you need to pick an extra number from 1 to 10.
- Bullseye – a daily lottery where players need to pick a combo of 6 numbers.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
Lotto – this lottery’s drawn twice a week: every Wednesday at 8:20 PM and every Saturday at 8 PM local time. A ticket will set you back NZ$0.6 per line and a total of NZ$2.4 for 4 lines. You have to pick 6 numbers from 1 to 40, or you can take a chance with the Lucky Dip, which will randomly generate numbers for you. There’s also the Powerball feature you can opt-in for by paying an extra fee. Once activated, you pick a number from 1 to 10 for each line which can bring in massive winnings if the Powerball number matches the 6 main numbers.
Another feature is Strike, which costs NZ$1 per line. Once activated, you pick a sequence of 4 numbers, and if it matches the draw sequence in the lottery, it can bring in an extra win exceeding NZ$100,000. The biggest jackpots ever handed out by this lottery are:
- NZ $44 million on November 9, 2016
- NZ $36 million on June 24, 2013
- NZ $35.2 million on April 9, 2011
Keno – another popular lottery, with prize draws happening four times a day: at 10 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM local time. To get in the game, you need to pick 10 numbers from 1 to 80. During the draw, 20 numbers are selected, each of which could carry a random multiplier from 1.5x to 10x. The more balls you match, the higher your winnings.
Bullseye – a popular alternative lottery with a daily draw at 6 PM local time. Entry will set you back a couple of kiwi bucks, NZ$2. After buying in, you pick a six-digit number from 000000 to 999999, or you can roll the dice with a randomly generated number. The big payday goes to those players who nail the number exactly, but there are also consolation prizes if your chosen number is 50,000 more or less than the one drawn.
It’s worth mentioning, you can get in on the action for a whole week or two upfront, which will save you a few bob. Seven days goes for ten kiwi dollars, and fourteen days costs NZ$20. The guaranteed minimum jackpot is 100,000 kiwi dollars. If nobody hits the bullseye, the jackpot rolls over to the next day, maxing out at NZ$400,000.
In New Zealand, various bingo games are also quite the rage, playable both offline and online. Some of the hottest bingo sites include JackpotCity, LeoVegas Bingo, and BingoCafe.
Another wildly popular game of chance in New Zealand is poker. Kiwis have been playing since the early 19th century, but it really hit the big time in the 70s when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) kicked off. Kiwis are mad about poker, both in brick-and-mortar casinos and at home with mates, as well as online. There’s no outright ban on online poker from a legal standpoint, but there are some restrictions about where poker rooms can be located. Officially, an online poker room can’t be located in New Zealand, so players have to hit the tables at offshore casinos.
However, the online poker scene in New Zealand is way more relaxed compared to their neighbors in Australia. The Aussie government slaps massive fines on online rooms that accept Aussie players. Consequently, the major poker rooms give Aussie players a wide berth. New Zealand, on the other hand, doesn’t have these prohibitions, so the biggest rooms like PokerStars, 888Poker, and PartyPoker are more than happy to welcome Kiwi players. It’s also worth noting that if you’re not a pro and just play online poker for kicks, you won’t be taxed on your winnings.
Reliability and safety of online casinos in New Zealand
New Zealand doesn’t have a domestic online casino license because owning an online casino on Kiwi soil is not on. As a result, players have to play at offshore casinos registered in various jurisdictions like Malta, Curaçao, or Alderney. The casino’s license is the key indicator of its reliability and security.
The main global commissions are the MGA, UKGC, Curaçao, and AGCC. Always check your casino for a license from a major regulator, preferably from this list. If the license is up to date, you can bet your bottom dollar that the game will be fair and there won’t be any problems cashing out. In the worst-case scenario, if you feel that your rights as a player have been violated or that the casino has acted unfairly, you can email the appropriate commission. They’ll get back to you, and if the casino has indeed broken the rules of its license, the commission will demand the problem be sorted in your favor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, New Zealand is a pretty chilled-out place when it comes to gambling. The country has a thriving bricks-and-mortar gambling scene, from one-armed bandits and roulette wheels to all kinds of card games, sports betting, and lotteries. The online gambling world also has its fair share of fans here. Despite the fact that running an online casino or poker room on Kiwi soil is a no-go, there’s no prohibition on playing. As a result, any Kiwi can hit the tables at the world’s biggest casinos and poker rooms without a hitch.
It’s also heartening to see a whole bunch of betting shops around, each of them regulated by the government’s TAB commission, as well as national lotteries and land-based casinos. Another big plus is the availability of loads of payment systems, making it a cinch to deposit into online casinos, along with the legal status of cryptocurrencies. And of course, the icing on the cake is no taxes on the lion’s share of winnings from various games of chance.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, there is no direct ban on this type of entertainment. Banned only the activities of casinos in New Zealand, but playing in offshore casinos is not prohibited.
Yes, there are 6 land-based casinos available in New Zealand, located in several cities. The largest of them is CitySky in Auckland, which has over 2000 machines and more than 150 gaming tables.
Cryptocurrency is officially legal in New Zealand. You can use it to invest or trade, as well as to make deposits in online casinos, as most of the world’s casinos support this method.
In addition to online and offline casinos, there are also various bookmakers accepting sports betting, national lotteries, bingo services, as well as international online poker rooms.
23.01.2022 | Date updated: 17 July 2024
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