iGaming traffic in New Zealand – Online gambling in general has become a very lucrative and prosperous market over the years. The improved internet penetration nowadays means that people from all corners of the planet can access online gambling sites without moving an inch from their homes.
Long gone are the days when we had to visit land-based casinos to play our favourite online casino games.
These days, there are international operators accepting players from all countries in the world, so national borders do not act as any sort of obstacle.
Different countries have different regulations when it comes to iGaming, but in this article, we will put our focus solely on New Zealand.
Is Online Gambling Legal in New Zealand?
Let’s begin step by step here. The Gambling Act of 2003 is the main piece of regulation that governs casinos and all gambling activities in New Zealand.
It covers all aspects of wagering – whether you want to buy a lottery ticket, place bets on sports betting or have a nice day at horse races. It states that you need to be at least 18 years old for all this, but to visit a land-based casino, you have to be 20 years old.
In that line, online casinos are mentioned as illegal in New Zealand. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, as Kiwis are able to play their favourite casino games online only on two state-controlled operators:
- The Lottery
- TAB
However, it is important to note here that there are strict penalties in place for businesses that offer online gambling services, but not individuals. Therefore, the online casino traffic in New Zealand is great at the moment.
As such, the laws are not that restrictive for punters in New Zealand after all. This means that all punters in the country can feel free to access international online casinos that accept players from New Zealand without facing any legal repercussions.
The New Zealand government does not seem interested to chase individuals who gamble online at offshore sites, and there has been no case in history where someone was penalized for such activity.
Thankfully for all Kiwis, there are plenty of international online gambling sites that accept players from New Zealand.
Operators see how popular iGaming is in the country, so they make sure to include personalized offers for the New Zealand market only as well.
Overall, as long as Kiwis make sure to register and play only on licensed and reputable international online casinos, they have nothing to worry about.
Popular Payment Methods in New Zealand
Having a rich list of payment methods is vital for any online gambling site that wishes to be a success in the iGaming sector of New Zealand.
As you would expect, different players have different preferences when it comes to payment options, but understandably, some methods are more popular than others.
This is where we would like to mention POLi, which is a real-time bank transfer service that allows Kiwis to make seamless transactions on their favourite online gambling sites.
POLi allows players to make deposits and withdrawals without using any credit/debit card. All you need to do is register an account at your favourite online casino, choose POLi as your preferred payment method, and you are good to go.
Up next, we have cryptocurrencies that have emerged as a nice alternative to traditional payment methods. More and more Kiwis tend to use cryptocurrencies for their transactions.
When you note that just a couple of cryptocurrencies’ benefits are instant withdrawals and anonymous transactions, it should be easy to understand where their popularity comes from.
There are even online gambling sites that offer special cryptocurrency games, or even exclusive bonuses, so this just seems like the start for cryptocurrencies. Popular cryptocurrencies include:
- Bitcoin
- Litecoin
- Ethereum
- Dogecoin
Finally, we have e-Wallets that slowly take over the entire New Zealand online gambling market. Among all e-Wallets, PayPal is the most used option among Kiwis nowadays. Deposits and withdrawals are free of charge and super-fast, so you won’t make a mistake choosing PayPal as your preferred payment option.
Mobile Gaming in New Zealand
As of 2022, the smartphone penetration in New Zealand is estimated to be around 92%, which is an astonishing number.
Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to see that more and more Kiwis prefer to gamble online rather than be stuck on their desktop computer or laptop.
Most games nowadays are created with HTML5 technology, meaning that they are compatible with any device, regardless of what operating system it runs on. All reliable online casinos that accept players from New Zealand either have mobile-friendly websites or mobile apps that can be downloaded for free.
Either way, nothing stops New Zealanders from gambling on their mobile devices at any time and from any location. The only necessity is that they have a stable internet connection and an online casino account.