The gambling scene in New Zealand is very similar to several other countries such as Canada, India, and Poland. Like these countries, online gambling within New Zealand is prohibited, but there are no laws that prohibit gambling with online casinos that are located overseas. In fact, all the best NZ online casinos are located outside of New Zealand and licensed by foreign regulatory bodies. This type of legislation is found in several countries and it’s relatively common for a country to make gambling illegal within its border but legal outside of its borders.
Gambling Act of 2003
Unlike online gaming with games such as Call of Duty, gambling in New Zealand is illegal unless authorized by the Gambling Act 2003 which states what forms of gambling may or may not be allowed. The NZ Gambling Act of 2003 specifically states that ‘remote interactive gambling is prohibited’. Simply put, remote interactive gambling refers to online gambling with a site or operator that is registered within the country. This is the general rule regarding gambling in the country, but there are a few exceptions which are described below.
- The ban doesn’t apply to lotteries conducted in New Zealand.
- Remote or online gambling with any casino or sports betting site that’s based overseas is also exempt from this rule.
Although overseas online gambling is allowed in New Zealand, overseas gambling operators are not allowed to advertise in New Zealand. Advertising gambling or promoting any gambling activities, even if the operator is based outside of New Zealand is considered an offence under the Gambling Act.
Where do Kiwis Play Casino Games Online?
Despite the strict gambling laws in New Zealand, gambling online is only growing in popularity and it’s been so for several years now. Online gambling in particular is gaining more and more popularity worldwide and New Zealand is no exception. The reason for this is simple: New Zealanders have a ton of options to choose from when it comes to casinos that they can play at. The important thing to note here is that although these casinos are often referred to as New Zealand online casinos, they are all registered outside of the country and licensed by any of the major gambling bodies that have the authority to licence Kiwi casinos.
It’s interesting to note that land-based gambling is legal in New Zealand, although it’s clear that Kiwis prefer to play casino games and gamble online. In fact, there are only six casinos in the whole country and of course, none of them are allowed to offer their services remotely.
How to Find the Best New Zealand Online Casinos
So, where do Kiwis find good and safe online casino sites? Onlinecasinonewzealand.nz is a great place to start and the best place to find recommended casinos sites for Kiwi players. Online Casino New Zealand is one of the most comprehensive comparison sites with detailed reviews of every NZ online casino that’s worth taking a look at.
As mentioned in the previous section, New Zealand casinos can be licensed by any of the six global gambling authorities, listed below.
- Malta Gaming Authority
- UK Gambling Commission
- Curaçao eGaming Authority
- Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
- Panama Gaming Control Board
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Since gambling is illegal within the country, there is no New Zealand licence that can be obtained by any online casino. For this reason, Kiwis should always look for an official licence from any of the abovementioned authorities to ensure that the casino is safe to play at.
The casino license is an important factor to consider when looking for a safe casino but there are several other factors to take into account. First of all, Kiwis should be able to make deposits and withdrawals using New Zealand dollars and have a variety of payment options at their disposal. The casino should also be accessible on multiple devices and offer a wide range of casino games, from slots, to table games, live casino games, and even sports betting options. Ideally, customer support should be available 24/7, although not every casino is able to offer this.
Conclusion
The Gambling Act which was first introduced in 2003 clearly states that operators in New Zealand can’t offer any online gambling services such as online casino games to players in the country. However, offshore casinos are exempt from this rule and they’ve clearly taken full of advantage of this ‘loophole’ in the gambling laws with many online casinos available for Kiwis. So long as the gambling laws remain unchanged, New Zealanders are free to choose from a wealth of fantastic online casinos at their disposal while offshore operators can continue to provide their services to New Zealanders.
