Since the people are very sociable and love amusement, it is not surprising they engage in merriment such as online betting at notable casino sites such as Casinocrawlers.com and as of 2018, more or less 520,000 people are addicted to online gambling. The majority of these adults are into online poker, roulette, blackjack, lotteries, and video poker.
Statistics show that the gambling expenditure of the land from 2011 has been steadily increasing reaching 2.4 billion New Zealand dollars in 2018. During the lockdown period in 2020, online pokies were all the rage regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as online gambling making wagering one of the favorite pastimes of the majority.
Surprisingly, there are only seven casinos found in the land but they have a great number of huge race tracks and a variety of bingo halls. The reason for this is that the current legislation prohibits the growth of the gambling industry and denies the increase of land-based casinos in New Zealand. Sports betting on the other hand is very famous in the land and people can bet anywhere for they provide a number of betting shops.
Gambling Laws in New Zealand
Pertaining to the Gambling Act of 2003, sports betting and online lotteries are allowed in the country and the majority are prohibited. In the later part, some casino sites are already lenient and the government gave them a go signal to market their industry but it is a must that they get a proper license and must follow the rules imposed by the authorities. Pertaining to Amendment Number 2 in 2007, all gambling operators are held liable and responsible to all gambling activities that they offer to the players. This is one to ensure a clean and in order type of gambling.
The state lottery and the online state lottery are controlled by the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. All sports games are supplied by the Totalizator Agency Board (TAB). TAB is a division of the New Zealand Racing Board.
The best thing is their government allows their people to bet online on any offshore casino site which is the reason why a lot of people from New Zealand wager on foreign casino sites without restraint. Albeit the fact that online gambling to offshore casino sites, it is also prohibited to advertise in any form or promote foreign casino sites in the land.
Brief History Poker Game in the Land
Poker is without a doubt very much legal in the country and many locals are into this type of gambling. It is believed that card games existed in New Zealand a long time ago through steamboats brought by Chinese settlers. Some also say that the Americans brought the game a hundred years ago during the gold rush in the Pacific region, thus games like Texas Hold’Em are one of the reasons why it is famous for most punters in the land.
At present, poker seemed to be part of the culture in New Zealand and they even held poker festivals like WPT New Zealand and the New Zealand Championships.
Besides playing poker, people can also bet on horse races and lotteries. More than half of the profit which is generated by the said activity is returned to the people.
Additional Interesting Facts about Gambling in New Zealand
- All winnings are tax-free as long as you are wagering for past time and you’re not a professional gambler.
- All forms of gambling were banned in the 19nth century except horse racing.
- New Zealanders refer to slot machines as pokies. Back then, slot machines were actually poker machines before they were changed into the current game that we know now. The name pokies got stuck to the people from New Zealand thus calling the slots pokies. So, if you happen to visit the country, keep in mind that if they say pokies, they mean the slots.
What bettors can expect from virtual casinos in New Zealand:
- Game diversity
Expert virtual punters who constantly bet in an online casino from New Zealand know the wide range of games they present to their players and the quality of the graphics and sound. The following are the gambling games online punters enjoy.
- Video poker
- Black Jack
- Craps
- Baccarat
- Lotteries
- Roulette
- Online Slots
- Bonuses
- Bonuses are the benefits that bettors enjoy after signing up and making a deposit on a casino site. New Zealand has its way of granting incentives to their players but the majority urges their prospective players to read their terms and conditions before they start playing.
- Bonus codes
- This type of incentive is quite rare and not many online casinos offer this. Bonus codes are advantageous to prospective players who want to dip one’s toes in the virtual gambling world or to the site. The only catch here is it has an expiry date so it is advisable to enjoy the generous offer while it lasts.
- We can receive these bonus codes from coupons or emails. The code usually comes in a form of free spin or cash which will be deposited into your account if you decide to make a deposit.
- Different types of codes:
- No Deposit welcome codes
- No Deposit free spins
- No Deposit sign up bonus
- No Deposit mobile bonus
- No Deposit free codes
- No Deposit cashable codes
- Players are given an option to play slots and/or pokies without using real money and will be given a chance to receive a no deposit casino bonus to enjoy.
- Safety and legitimacy
- The software of the online casinos in the land is noted for their being transparent and is equipped with a strong firewall that can detect malicious websites and immediately discards them.
- Online gambling operators from New Zealand are vigilant in their licenses following strict orders from their government.
- Payout Scheme
- They have diverse payment options flexible enough to cater to their players’ available banking schemes.
Conclusion:
- The government of New Zealand embraced gambling in general which is the reason why they are quite tolerant with regards to the people’s online betting spree. However, they also have to impose strict rules in order to avoid future consequences.
