Department of Internal Affairs. Most of gambling houses in the country are owned by SKYCITY Entertainment Group.
You must be aware already that New Zealanders are deeply into gambling. According to our statistical research, as many as 80%, which is about 3.6 million of locals, have been involved in various forms of gambling. According to the official statistical data, in 2008, New Zealand gamblers spent over $NZ 2.034 billion ($NZ 480 per capita) on gambling, which is quite a drastic loss. Almost the same sum of money was spent on Kiwis’ gambling abroad, specifically over NZ $2 billion. Overall, since 2004, gambling expenditure has dropped about 19%, yet Kiwis’ spendings on lotto games has increased as impressively as by 22% over the same period of time.
You might wonder what’s up with land based gambling in the country. Just for your info, there are only 6 land based gambling houses in New Zealand that have operated since 1994. Look for the following NZ casinos if you’re interested in land based gambling: Dunedin Casino, Christchurch Casino, SKYCITY Hamilton, SKYCITY Queenstown, SkyCity Auckland, and SKYCITY Wharf Casino.
So, let’s learn the gambling history in NZ in order to better view the entire picture. The first documented notices of gambling in the country were dated 1830s when Kiwis (New Zealand people) were deep into betting on horse racing, which was quite popular at that time. This hobby was recognized as destructive and pernicious by the government, so it had been forbidden for quite a long time.
According to the recent analytical research, Kiwis’ total gambling expenditure is about $NZ 2 billion per year. 35% of this sum is attributed to pokies (as they call slots in any NZ and Australian online casino), 26% are gained by land based casinos, 21% is spent on lotto, and 18% is sports betting expenditure. Frankly speaking, gambling is quite profitable for the government, since all the gambling operators are required to pay high taxes that are meant for bettering of the community.
Talking about the New Zealand gambling legislature, in the 1920s, bookmaking was legally prohibited. In the 1980s, there were slight improvements since lottery games along with land based casinos were legalized and fell under the Parliament control. Shortly after that, pokies (which is the way slots are called in any online casino kiwi in Australia and New Zealand) that are also widely known as slot machines were also legalized. As for online gambling in New Zealand, the law says that it’s absolutely legal for New Zealanders to play on the gambling websites providing that they are not New Zealand based.
To tell you even more info about the current gambling situation in New Zealand, there was adopted the Gambling Act in 2003 saying that all the gambling in the country is prohibited unless it’s authorized specifically by the government. In New Zealand, gambling is divided into four major classes, each of them needs to be licensed by the government in order to legally operate in the country.
As for the legal gambling age, you must be over 20 in order to play in a land based casino. As for participation in sports betting (including horse racing), lotteries, and scratch cards, you need to be 18 years old.
Types of Online Casinos for Kiwi
Before, we’ll tell you about different criteria for selecting a worthy gambling website, first of all, you need to be aware of different casino types you can choose from based on your own preferences. You might have known already that there are four main types of gambling websites, which are the following: download or instant play casinos, download casinos, live dealer casinos, and mobile gambling. To decide which option is the best for you, you need to clarify what is the gadget you intend to play on (a laptop, PC, smartphone, or tablet PC). In case you are interested in playing on a smartphone or tablet PC, you definitely need to choose a mobile casino gambling. Then, you need to decide whether or not there’s enough space on your device. If not, we recommend that you opt for a no download or instant play gambling, however, if there’s enough space on your device, we advise you to play in a download casino or a casino app if you are into mobile gambling. These are only a few questions to ask yourself before you can decide what’s the best casino type for you. Under the heading below, we’ll tell you more detailed info about each of these casino types in order to facilitate your choice making process.
No Download
No download or instant play casino type is probably the best one for those who are not interested in downloading anything on their device. No matter whether you don’t have enough space on your gadget or are just too bored to wait for the casino app to be downloaded and installed on your gadget or there’s any other reason for you to want to gamble instantly, we assure you that it’s really a good gambling decision to play in a no download casino. No download casino is also a good option for those who are still uncertain whether or not they want to gamble regularly or not. In this case, there’s evidently no sense in downloading a casino, it’s much better to try it online instead. Some gamblers think that no download gambling is of worse quality compared to download casinos. However, we want to ensure you that you’ll be absolutely satisfied with gaming on the web without downloading anything on your device. So, what do you need to play in a no download or instant play casino? First of all, there should be a browser on your device with an in-built flash player to grant that your gambling will be smooth and enjoyable. Secondly, there has to be a stable and preferably fast internet connection. Basically, that’s it. If you want to try demo games for free, there’s no even need to get registered in the casino. However, if you are after real money gaming, you’ll have to set up a casino account by getting registered in the casino that appeals to you most. As soon as you get registered and have your own gambling account, just make your first deposit in the no download casino of your choice and enjoy instant gambling!
Download
Fundamentally, this casino type is just the opposite to the previously described instant gambling. Evidently, the main point of playing in this casino is that you need to download it and install it on your device first. Only then you can start gambling. Doesn’t this casino type look somewhat old school to you? You need to understand that it’s absolutely not. Evidently, it’s simpler to play instantly instead of waiting for the casino to be installed on your device before you can start playing. However, there are some really rewarding perks of doing this. First of all, it’s quality of gambling. Secondly, you don’t have to go to the web browser, type in the casino link to go to its home page, enter your login credential and so on. Compared to the described above ordeal of accessing the instant play casino, a download version is much simpler. All you need is just to press on the casino app icon on your device in order to be automatically logged in. there might be security issued though if you have your device stolen, yet you can increase your security and safety in the settings by adding a fingerprint verification every time you wanna access your gambling account. So, if you have enough space on your device (a casino doesn’t usually demand too much of it), opt for a download casino. We promise, you’ll never regret it!
Live
This kind of betting is most adored by experienced gambler, particularly those who already have experience of gambling in land based betting houses. Live dealer betting is truly the best way to feel the incredible land based gambling atmosphere! What substantially adds to these cool feelings and outstanding gambling experience is that you don’t even need to leave your bed, let alone the room, in order to plunge into cool live gambling atmosphere. In addition, it’s truly the best choice of a casino type for sociable gamblers since there’s a chance to communicate with a live dealer as well as other gamblers sitting at your table. So, what’s meant by playing with a live dealer? There’s a casino studio located somewhere in the world. There’s a live dealer as well as the gaming table depending on the game you intend to play. The table along with the dealer is being live streamed so that you have a feeling as though you are playing in a real land based casino. We promise it’s a real pleasure! Naturally, it’s more pleasant to watch your cards being dealt by a real person rather than automatically distributed by a computer monitored by a random number generator. It’s especially relevant for those who opt for genuine emotions and experience rather than their artificial substitutes. So, opt for a live dealer casino, and enjoy all the rich spectrum of the exiting close to real life gambling!
Mobile
These days, cell phones don’t shock anybody any more! So, why should mobile casinos astound you at that point then? Truth be told, it’s presumably the most advantageous type of gambling since it gives you a chance to bet any place you are giving that you have a decent internet connection, which is highly important no matter what casino type you’ll end up with. Mobile casinos, in their turn, can also be of two types – either an instant play no download gambling that you can enjoy using only a web browser on your mobile device with an in-built flash player or a downloadable version, which requires you to install a casino app that you can use on your device. What’s really cool is that you can play on your mobile using an already existing gambling account, which will save you a lot of time releasing you from the necessity to go through the tedious registration procedure. Another cool thing about mobile gambling in New Zealand is that you can get really cool bonuses if you choose to play on your smartphone, tablet PC, or whichever else portable device. Below you can see the table that serves to show you the best mobile casinos available for New Zealand gamblers as well as really cool bonuses that you can get in each mobile casino. Besides, you can check the most popular depositing methods available in each casino as well as find out it takes for your winnings to be withdrawn, which is definitely highly importantly when it comes to real money gambling.
Mobile Casino
Bonuses
Speed of Payouts
Depositing Methods
Voodoo Dreams
NZ$1000 + 200 free spins
1-2 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
My Chance
NZ$1.000 + 70 free spins
1-5 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Dunder
NZ$600 + 200 free spins
1-3 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Jackpot City
NZ$1600
1-6 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
NY Spins
NZ$1000 + 200 free spins
1-2 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Royal Vegas
NZ$1200
1-5 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Omnia Casino
NZ$100 + No Deposit 21 free spins
1-2 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Casumo
NZ$1200 + 200 free spins
1-3 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Leo Vegas
NZ$1.000 + 222 free spins, 22 No Deposit Spins
1-5 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Cashmio
NZ$100 + 100 free spins
24 HOURS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Betway
NZ$1000
1-5 DAYS
VISA, MasterCard, PaySafeCard
Main Criteria to Choose Casinos in New Zealand
This section serves two main purposes. First, it lets you know the most important we pay attention to while reviewing different online casinos in New Zealand so that you can see that our reviews are absolutely objective and free of bias. In such a way, you can absolutely trust our expert evaluations and rely on our recommendations. Another purpose is to teach you to be a truly adamant gambler who knows perfectly well what to expect from a decent casino. In such a way, you’ll learn how to choose a really good casino for your gambling as well as stay away from suspicious gambling websites, which is your top priority when it comes to safety and security on the web. That’s why we highly advise that you carefully read all the criteria below for you to be perfectly prepared when it comes to choosing the best NZ casino for you.
Licenses and Fair Play
We urge to remember that license is a must for any casino to have, be it a land based or an online one. If the casino where you want to play has some really tasty bonuses to offer you and a truly versatile game options, yet there’s no info about it licenses and any other legal info at the very bottom of its official site, you must disregard this gaming option and stay away from it. You might wonder why license is such a big deal. Well, there are many good reasons for it. Among the key ones we feel important to share with you is that a license is basically your lifeguard when it comes to gambling on the web. Evidently, unlicensed casinos are not to be trusted. Besides, in case you feel that your gambling isn’t quite fair in an unlicensed casino, you won’t be able to prove anything and your court plea will be simply disregarded because there’s literally no way for an unlicensed casino to be sued. And there’s no one to sue since there’s usually no info about the casino owner in case there’s no license. That’s why it’s definitely not worth to gamble for real money in a casino without a license.
How can you know if the casino license is to be trusted. Well, there’s a number of globally recognized gambling authorities whose licenses are really hard to get because of their high requirements, so their licenses are definitely to be trusted. Here is a list of the most famous and authoritative gambling commissions whose licenses are trustworthy: the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Alderney Gambling Commission, the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority, BeGambleAware, the Isle of Man Gambling Jurisdiction, the UK Gambling Commission, GamCare, Antigua and Barbuda Gaming Commission, Gibraltar Licensing Authority, the Curaçao Gaming Control etc.
As for the fair play, it’s sure you’ll experience it if you play in a licensed casino. Because such casinos have a certified RNG (random number generator) that is usually monitored by independent testing agencies to ensure that all your gaming outcomes are absolutely random and unbiased.
Developers and Games
This is also an important criterion when it comes to selecting the best online casino for you since you’re definitely interested in a lavish and versatile gaming selection as well as really good gaming quality. That’s why it’s important for you to get familiarized with various developers and their specialties to decide which one appeals to you most. Evidently, we recommend that you play only with the world leading developers since the quality if their gaming production is definitely not to be questioned. Among such developers, we can single out the following: Microgaming, Push Gaming, Playtech, Blueprint Gaming, Play’n GO, Evolution Gaming, Betsoft, NetEnt etc. We recommend that you choose a developer based on the game category you’re interested in since, as a ruly, every casino software developer specializes on one or several specific game categories. Evidently, it’s better to choose games whose developer is a real expert in its field.
Another important thing to bear in mind while choosing a casino where to play is to decide what game categories interest you most and if the game category of your preference is suggested in the casino where you want to play. If you are interested in a popular game category, such as pokies, blackjack, poker, baccarat, roulette, video poker, table games etc., it’s definitely not a problem for you to find the casino where you can play one of such games or maybe even all of them. However, if your preference is attributed to rare categories (e.g., keno, craps,bingo, scratch cards, sports bets etc.), then it might be rather challenging for you to find a casino where you can find such gaming options. That’s why you need to check all the games categories as well as gaming options themselves before you decide that a certain gambling website is a good option for you.
Banking Options
If you are interested in real money gambling, banking options is among the main criteria you must carefully examine. First of all, you need to check what payment methods are suggested on the gambling website, specifically which ones you can use for making deposits and which ones are available for withdrawing your winnings. Mind that quite often the depositing methods are not available for withdrawals. So, you need to check it carefully and preferably read the depositing methods reviews in order to decide which one suits you best. In addition, it would be reasonable to check what currencies you can operate with in the casino where you want to gamble. You might be particularly interested in a nzd online casino, which is the one where you can make deposits and withdrawals in New Zealand dollars.
Talking about gambling payment methods, the best ones for New Zealand gamblers are the following: Paysafecard, Ukash, PayPal, Skrill (Moneybookers), Maestro, VISA Electron, MasterCard, VISA, Entropay, Neteller, Zimpler, Boku, Payforit etc. Other available payment options that you might want to consider are the following: eNETS (a credit or direct debit card), ecoPayz (100% security, total anonymity), Diners, American Express, ClickandBuy etc.
As for the security of your payments, there’s absolutely no need to worry in case you are playing in a good licensed casino. Such gambling websites usually protect themselves as well as their users with the help of a reliable antivirus software, such as McAfee, Microgaming, VeriSign Trusted, SSL.com, eCOGRA etc.
Besides, you should be aware that every reliable casino uses a special Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology that serves to encrypt your personal data turning it into an illegible text that can’t be deciphered by third parties. That’s why there’s absolutely no way for anyone to have access to your personal or banking data without your awareness and consent. To check if the casino truly implements the SSL encryption technology, just go to its site and check if there’s a small green lock right before the casino’s URL. if you can see it, then there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of in terms of your safety and security as you play with the chosen NZ casino.
Bonuses
Cool generous promotions is probably your main requirement to the gambling website, huh? There’s absolutely no denying that it’s a really important criterion since you definitely want to get some extra cash, free spins, and exclusive prizes as really good rewards for your gambling, right? Among the most popular bonuses, we can single out the following: a welcome or sign up bonus, free spins to play certain slots, no deposit bonus, cashback bonus, exclusive cash prizes and other kinds of rewards etc. In the table below, we have prepared for you only the best bonuses, specifically free spins and cash no deposit bonuses that you can get on New Zealand gambling websites.
Casino
Free Spins
Casino
Cash Bonus
Gday Casino
10 FREE SPINS on multiple games including BerryBurst
24VIP Casino
$15 No Deposit Bonus
PlayAmo
25 FREE SPINS on Boomanji
Betzest
$5 Free Cash
Prime Slots
110 FREE SPINS on Big Bad Wolf
Palace of Chance
$100 For Free
BitStarz Casino
25 FREE SPINS on Wolf Treasure
Scratch Mania
$7 For Free
Casino Cruise
55 FREE SPINS
Slot Fruity
$5 For Free
Emu Casino
12 FREE SPINS on Farm Ville 2 slot
Slotland Casino
$33 Free Cash (bonus code FREE33KINGS)
Go Wild Casino
20 FREE SPINS on multiple games including Book of Dead (bonus code 20SPINS)
Slots Empire
$30 Free Cash (bonus
code: 30GRATIS)
King Billy
21 FREE SPINS on Dragon Kings
Vegas Online
$20 For Free (bonus
code: PLAY20)
Red Stag Casino
47 FREE SPINS on Cherry Blossoms (Bonus Code CHBL47POKIES)
Wizbet Casino
$20 No Deposit Bonus
(Bonus Code: 20FBONUS)
21Prive Casino
10 FREE SPINS on Twin Spins
Winward Casino
$44 Free Cash
Betchan Casino
33 FREE SPINS on Slots with exclusions
Bet N Spin
$3 For Free (bonus code BLACK)
Yako
10 FREE SPINS on Starburst
Campeonbet
$5 Free Cash
Top Online Casinos in New Zealand
Based on all the criteria described above, we have come up with our own list of the top online casinos in NZ. Apart from the top online casino sites you can see in the table, here you can also learn about the bonus value you can get in a certain NZ online casino, the number of game you can enjoy there, and the return to player (RTP) percentage so that you can know whether or not it’s worth gambling in a certain NZ casino online at all. We’re sure, with the help of the table below, you can easily find truly the best online casino for you.
Casino
Bonus
Number of Games
RTP Percentage
Leo Vegas Casino
NZ $1600
500+
98.4% Payout
Mummys Gold
NZ $200
350+
98.22% Payout
Royal Panda
NZ $100
150+
98.41% Payout
River Belle
NZ $800
150+
98.41% Payout
Royal Vegas
NZ $1600
600+
99% Payout
Jackpot City
NZ $1600
170+
96.4% Payout
Gaming Club
NZ $350
500+
98.21% Payout
Platinum Play
NZ $1000
400+
98.43% Payout
My Chance Casino
NZ $1000
350+
98.55% Payout
Luckland Casino
NZ $1000
800+
98% Payout
PlayAmo
NZ$ 375 Bonus
500+
98.4% Payout
Spin Casino
NZ $1000
500+
98.15% Payout
All Slots
NZ $200
500+
98.75% Payout
Red Flush
NZ $1000
300+
98.25% Payout
Vegas Palms
NZ $100
350+
98.16% Payout
Wild Jack
NZ $1600
250+
98.2% Payout
Summary
In conclusion, as you can see, gambling is quite popular in New Zealand. Since there are so many casinos available for New Zealand gamblers on the web, you might find it rather challenging to select the one that suits you best. In order to facilitate the choosing process for you, we have prepared a really helpful guide on this web page that serves to inform you about the essential criteria to consider while reviewing different gambling options for New Zealand gamblers. We are sure, following our pieces of advice, you’ll definitely find the best NZ online casino for you!
FAQ
This is quite a tough question to answer since there are too many decent gambling options and it’s rather subjective which one you’ll like most. Based on all the criteria we’ve shared with you in the article above, we have come up with our own list of the top online casinos in NZ: Leo Vegas Casino, Mummys Gold, Royal Panda, River Belle, Royal Vegas, Jackpot City, Gaming Club, Platinum Play, My Chance Casino, Luckland Casino, PlayAmo, Spin Casino, All Slots, Red Flush, Vegas Palms, Wild Jack. Whichever of these options you’ll eventually choose, it definitely won’t let you down.
As the The Gambling Act (2003) says, NZ native online casinos are illegal, yet’ it’s absolutely fine with the law if you play in an online casino that it based outside of the country. What a tricky way to gamble legally in New Zealand, huh?
According to New Zealand laws, you can legally gamble only after you have reached the age of 20. However, if you are into scratch cards, sports betting, and lotteries, being 18 years old is absolutely fine. Besides, you might need to check it specifically with the casino of your choice what gambling age is stated there.
There are only 6 land based casinos in the state (Dunedin Casino, Christchurch Casino, SKYCITY Hamilton, SKYCITY Queenstown, SkyCity Auckland, and SKYCITY Wharf Casino) as well as over 70 licensed and safe gambling websites where you can enjoy gambling from New Zealand. Check the best gambling websites on this web page in order to narrow down your choice only to the worthy options.
There's plenty of really cool bonuses that can be suggested to New Zealand gamblers, including welcome or sign up offer, no deposit bonuses, free spins and so on and so forth. For more detailed info, check the table in the bonus section above in this professional article.
Here is a list of the most famous and authoritative gambling commissions whose licenses are trustworthy: the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Alderney Gambling Commission, the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority, BeGambleAware, the Isle of Man Gambling Jurisdiction, the UK Gambling Commission, GamCare, Antigua and Barbuda Gaming Commission, Gibraltar Licensing Authority, the Curaçao Gaming Control etc.
Among such developers, we can single out the following: Microgaming, Push Gaming, Playtech, Blueprint Gaming, Play'n GO, Evolution Gaming, Betsoft, NetEnt etc.
The best ones for New Zealand gamblers are the following: Paysafecard, Ukash, PayPal, Skrill (Moneybookers), Maestro, VISA Electron, MasterCard, VISA, Entropay, Neteller, Zimpler, Boku, Payforit etc. Other available payment options that you might want to consider are the following: eNETS (a credit or direct debit card), ecoPayz (100% security, total anonymity), Diners, American Express, ClickandBuy etc.