Find Out More About Real Money Online Casino Gambling in New Zealand
Gambling has become an integral part of modern life and real money gambling casinos are now widely accepted around the globe. While some countries offer regulated gaming, others don’t. If you live in one of these jurisdictions, then finding out more about real money online casino gambling in NZ may seem like an impossible task. This is a short look at the general air on internet gambling in New Zealand…
Rules and Regulations
New Zealand legislation on Internet gaming was first introduced in June 2000. The Bill sought to regulate all forms of gambling, including land-based activities. Through the years, it has seen changes and been amended several times but still prohibits the establishment of gaming venues that cater to online wagers. Currently, the law only allows licensed operators to make their own rules regarding online gambling. All other activity falls under the jurisdiction of the Interactive Gaming Council.
Native Gambling Population
The government does not collect figures on how many people gamble or participate in offshore gaming. However, according to estimates from the Gambling Research Group, there are approximately 1.5 million Kiwis who have gambled in an unregulated environment. There are also 1.2 million gamblers who play poker online. Although PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were able to operate legally prior to 2014, both sites were forced to close down due to U.S. regulatory actions that prohibited U.S.-registered citizens from participating in unregulated online gambling.
Online Casinos
Currently, there are seven official gambling websites operating in New Zealand: Alderney Cays Online Betting (ACOB); iNetBet; Ladbrokes; Netbet; Paddy Power; Sportingbet; Unibet. These companies must adhere to strict restrictions set by the IGBC and they are subject to regular audits. They can’t accept players from outside New Zealand and most games are only available within their borders.
Where do I Play?
You’ll find the latest information about online gambling venues in the “Where Do I Play?” section of our site. We cover the top options such as NetEnt, Scientific Games, Microgaming, Yggdrasil, Amaya, Red Tiger, Thunderkick, Evolution Gaming, Rival, Blueprint Games, Genesis Gaming, GameArt, and Merkur Gaming.
The Bottom Line
If you live in New Zealand then you’re probably wondering if you can play online casino games with real money. In this case, you can! It will be much easier than you think though because your favorite online casino brands are already familiar to you.
