Most Popular Online Casinos in New Zealand

Most Popular Online Casinos in New Zealand

New Zealand online casino players can choose from a vast range of casino games. Real money online casinos offer an exciting array of entertainment. Over 73% of New Zealanders, or 3.7 million people of the country’s population, participate in gambling. You may wonder how such a significant participation rate happens in a country that prohibits local online casinos from offering online casino games.

Internet casinos are currently illegal in New Zealand. However, offshore online casino brands gained a foothold in the online casino market in NZ. No express law bars them from offering their online gambling games in New Zealand. Even if the government outlawed such online casinos, it would be impossible to enforce the prohibition. Most online casinos that offer gameplay for New Zealanders are licensed and provide gameplay in New Zealand Dollars. 

Despite the legal loophole, New Zealand online casinos are safe and secure for the most part. Most get licensed via the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, or Curacao. The UK Gambling Commission is the safest license for gameplay, closely followed by the remaining jurisdictions. The online casino market attracts hundreds of online sites that compete in the market. So if you are a New Zealand Casino gamer or a visitor, keep reading to check out the top games you can choose in NZ casinos.

Top Online Games NZ

This list of New Zealand casinos offers a wide variety of entertaining games. The demand for online pokies is, predictably, the highest. Gamblers love to play pokie games because of their beautiful graphics that ooze fun while presenting an opportunity to win fabulous payouts. If you are starting to play casino games, you may choose these top three casino game categories identified by our experts.

1. Online Pokies 

New Zealand players have access to the best selection of online pokies. Pokies are famous as the gameplay rules are easy to grasp. Kiwi players also play online pokie games because they are compatible with mobile devices. Besides, Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, and Betsoft, among other top-rated pokies software developers, have a reputation for safety and fairness. Furthermore, a pokies game’s outcome is beyond human manipulation since they present their RNGs for regular auditing and testing. Progressive Jackpots on the Pokies remain the top-rated casino games because of the life-changing prize money. Even in Land-Based Casinos in NZ, the pokies are the top choice for casino players.

2. Blackjack.

Blackjack is another top choice by New Zealand casino players. The game has a rich history and numerous variations crucial to adapting it to cross-generation gaming preferences. Even so, the gameplay rules and steps remain primarily unchanged.

Overall, Blackjack is a card comparing game where the player plays against the dealer. The aim is to beat the dealer by getting a hand of 21, or a value slightly below but not above 21. Most blackjack cards carry their pip value. Face-up cards count as tens, while Aces count as 11 or 1, depending on how the parties agree.

For experienced players, Blackjack is among the online casino games they love placing stakes on. The game has a comparably squeezed house edge. Along the path to getting the natural hand, there are multiple options given the cards in your hand. A player can choose to hit, stand/stay, split the cards or double down to broaden their winning chances.

3. Roulette

Roulette is among the most popular casino games. You might have noticed numerous game versions if you play online casino games regularly. For example, you might get the European version on one online gambling site, and on the next, you get the American version. New Zealand casinos have more compelling variants in their live dealer games sections, attracting immense traffic.

Roulette involves guessing correctly where a spinning ball halts in a circular virtual table. The table has alternate red and black spots with different numbers. Players place their betting chips on the areas or numbers they think a spinning ball will stop. They then hit the ball and wait for the outcome. If the ball stops in places with betting chips, the player wins. The player loses if the ball stops outside the numbers or spots with betting chips.

How Popular are Online Casino Games in NZ?

New Zealanders enjoy online, live and mobile casinos. The popularity of mobile casino games, nevertheless, is not uniform. Players have divergent preferences for different games, as we discuss below. 

Online Pokies

There is no doubt that New Zealanders highly rate online pokies from the available data. The ActiveNZ gambling study 2020 found that 92% of households play online video games. We guess that majority of these video game players play online slots. The report further posits that 75% of video game players use more than one device. The finding bolsters our guess since most online gambling enthusiasts like slots optimised for broad mobile access.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

Progressive Jackpot slots are not the same as your standard slots. As the name indicates, slot jackpots are attached to these slot machines. However, progressive jackpots typically make up a part of a quality casino game portfolio. Jackpots are also available on table games & scratchcard games. All of our recommended casinos will boast at least a few progressive slot jackpot games where it is possible to win a life-changing jackpot.

Online Blackjack

Although less popular than online slots, New Zealand casinos offer Blackjack variants. Players fancy the game because of the reduced house advantage and numerous applicable strategies to beat the dealer. It is the most popular online casino card game in New Zealand. The game’s popularity stems from various variants that the best online casino sites adapt to their clients’ needs. Some versions include blackjack switch, Pontoon blackjack, and double exposure variants.

Online Poker

Poker has almost similar gameplay to online slot games. The only difference is that online poker allows a player to make in-game decisions that ultimately influence how the game goes. Online poker involves comparing cards from a 52-card deck. Although the game has many strategies, the basic ones are holding or discarding the cards.

Most players with relatively experience love playing poker hands. The game presents an opportunity to practice and hone skills learned over time. It Equally offers a chance to win incredible payouts should you beat the dealer or other virtual players.

Online Roulette

Online roulette variants are expectedly popular in New Zealand. Their simplicity in terms of placing bet chips and determining outcomes is what attracts gamblers. Across our featured casinos, you are likely to find various game versions. Irrespective of the variant you choose, the game’s object remains similar. The variation of bets also hooks players into the game. You may place high/low bets, odd/even bets, and red/black bets are some of the options gamblers place stakes on.

Even though there are several land-based casinos in the antipodean region, the selection of games from pokies to table games is far more comprehensive at online casinos sites. The online casino industry also offers players a wider variety of games with wagering requirements when taking an online casino bonus. No land casino will offer this type of bonus. It is where Online Gambling has an advantage over the bricks and mortar gambling industry.

Online Casino Bonus

Taking a casino bonus is always a temptation. However, the fact is that any casino player making a deposit is almost always offered a deposit bonus. The reason is simple, as soon as a casino bonus gets taken, there usually are terms and conditions associated with it. So always make sure you read the Significant Terms and Conditions of the bonus offer.

T&Cs can take a variety of forms, but most often, casinos will implement a minimum amount of wagering before being able to make a withdrawal. In addition, most reputable Internet Casinos will display wagering conditions prominently. Check the list of recommended NZ Casino Websites above for quality casino operators.

Casino Deposit & Withdrawal Methods

Players in New Zealand get spoilt for choice. View deposit and withdrawal methods below. It would be best to look out for the minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts. In addition, checking the maximum cash-in amount for a win is equally important.

*The minimum deposit is casino dependent. For example, some Online Casinos insist on a NZ$10 minimum deposit.

Regulated Gambling & Services

As New Zealand has yet to regulate and license any form of online gambling, it is advisable to stick to brands that conform to recognised Remote Gambling License regulations. In this instance, we would recommend only playing at a gambling venue licensed in both the United Kingdom & Malta. Avoid other offshore casino operators, as they will operate under different rules. Any UKGC or Malta-licensed gambling site would need to conform to a stricter series of regulations regarding player responsibility and care. It might not be as stringent as the rules set for the United Kingdom or Malta, but you would get protected more significantly than with any other license.

Gambling services include services that assist players with their gambling and any issues arising from gambling. New Zealand boasts some services that help players in this regard. For example, The Gambling Helpline New Zealand & Problem Gambling Foundation New Zealand. Both organisations are there to assist gamblers who require assistance.