Best Online Gambling Sites in New Zealand
In 2023, online casinos are striving to offer New Zealand players more entertainment options and a broader range of games. As experts in the field, we are dedicated to assisting you in finding the finest online gambling sites through our comprehensive reviews and informative gambling guides. Whether you prefer online pokies (slots), blackjack, roulette, or video poker, we have all the information and advice you need.
Our team of experienced gamblers has meticulously evaluated and ranked the top casino sites that accept deposits in NZD. These online gambling sites are among the best in the industry, and we are confident that our recommendations will assist you in selecting the perfect place to play.
🏆 Best New Zealand Gambling Sites in 2023
❓How to Choose the Best Online Gambling Site?
If you’re looking for the best gambling site, there isn’t one. This is simply because everyone has different tastes and needs. That being said, there are a lot of gambling sites that are highly rated by players.
So, how do you go about choosing a top gambling site suitable for you? A good method is to read some reviews and compare what different online gambling websites have going for them. Reviews typically discuss some key criteria and say whether the site being reviewed is worth signing up to considering these points. Below are some of the main aspects that reviewers look at:
Licence
It’s strongly recommended that a casino – or any kind of gambling site – has a licence. In New Zealand, it’s completely legal for you to gamble at sites that are located in other countries. Online casinos are allowed to operate in the country, but only if they’re developed by the TAB (the country’s monopolised sports betting authority) or Lotto NZ.
Before registering at a casino, you should make sure it’s got a licence. There’s usually proof of one near the bottom of each page. If there’s not, you should find a different site that has a licence and play there instead.
Game Variety
For many players, it’s the game selection that matters the most. Online casinos typically have hundreds – if not thousands – of games. The more there are, the better. It’s preferable for a site to have lots of games so that players have lots of options to pick from.
It’s not just about how many there are; it’s about the type. Casino gaming software falls into many categories. As well as pokies (slots), there are table and card games, live dealer games, video poker, bingo/keno, arcade games, virtual sports, and scratchcards, among others.
Nearly every casino site has loads more pokies than any other type of game. The top gambling sites have loads of the best online gambling pokies and many titles in all the other categories too. Not only that, the best gambling sites online regularly update their libraries to make their collections of games even bigger.
What we look for is a casino game collection that’s large and varied. With lots of options listed, it can be hard for players to find particular casino games to play. That’s why casinos should have some search and filter tools available. With these, you can narrow down the collection and find games that match your preferences more easily.
Most of the best casino websites have games by many different providers. There are over two hundred companies that create software for online casinos. At the typical NZ online casino, there’s content by at least a dozen or so providers. Again, the more of these there are, the better.
Safety and Security
Many gamblers are rightly concerned about depositing their cash into casino accounts. The good news is that most gambling sites are perfectly safe and secure and can be trusted with your cash. We spoke about licences earlier. If you’re at a licensed casino, you can rest assured that it’s reliable and not dodgy in any way. For a real money casino to acquire a licence, it has to pass a rigorous process to ensure everything is above board.
The safest online gambling sites have a licence and use the latest security technology to keep everything protected. SSL technology is widely used by casinos and online betting sites to safeguard players’ data, details and funds. Any site that offers gambling services should promote responsible gambling. Tools such as self-exclusion and time/deposit limits should be readily available for those negatively affected by gambling.
Mobile Gaming Experience
Online gambling isn’t just available on household computers; it’s also accessible on mobile devices. Most online casinos have mobile-friendly sites that are compatible with many smartphones and tablets. Some even have their own apps that can be downloaded. Apps tend to have a higher-quality, more personalised experience than mobile sites. With apps, you can access the casino more quickly and have features such as push notifications that keep you updated with what’s going on.
A casino’s mobile site should be well-designed and suitable for touchscreen devices. It should have all, if not most, of the same games that are found on the desktop site. Most mobile gambling sites are simple to navigate, quick to load, and fully responsive.
Deposits and Withdrawals
There are many ways you can make online payments. The top casino gambling sites should let you use a variety of these. The more options they have, the easier it is for players to fund their accounts and cash out. At a typical casino, you can use a bank card, a prepaid card, an e-wallets, a bank transfer, a mobile deposit, or a cryptocurrency.
We also look at whether there are any fees for transactions and what the processing times are. Deposits are nearly always instant or close enough. Withdrawals, however, can take several working days. First, the casino has to process the transaction. The amount of time this takes varies from one site to the next; the quicker, the better. Once it’s been processed, the withdrawn cash makes its way to you, and the wait time depends on the banking option.
Customer Support
A casino should have a reliable customer support system. The support staff is there to help you out if you have a question or if there’s a problem. Ideally, help should be available round the clock, and there should be convenient ways of getting in touch. Live chat is regarded as the preferred way of contacting customer service. Other contact methods are email, social media, and a landline you can call.
🥇 Top 10 Online Gambling Sites
| Rank | Casino | Bonus | Number of Games | RTP | Withdrawal Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Jackpot City Casino | NZ$1600 + 80 FS | 500+ | 97.84% | 1-2 days |
#2 | Spin Casino | NZ$1000 + 70 FS | 550+ | 97.59% | 1-2 days |
#3 | Zodiac Casino | NZ$480 + 80 FS | 550+ | 96,08% | 1-2 days |
#4 | Royal Vegas Casino | NZ$1200 + 30 FS | 700+ | 97.20% | 1-3 days |
#5 | Luxury Casino | NZ$1000 | 550+ | 96,5% | 1-3 days |
#6 | Golden Tiger Casino | NZ$1500 | 550+ | 95,73% | 1-3 days |
#7 | Ruby Fortune | NZ750 + 40 FS | 450+ | 96,61% | 1-3 days |
#8 | Jonny Jackpot | NZ$1000 + 100 | 1500+ | 98.75% | 1-3 days |
#9 | 7Bit | NZ$5000 + 100 Free Spins | 9000 | 97.5% | 0-2 days |
#10 | Wildz Casino | NZ$1000 + 200 Free Spins | 700+ | 98.85% | 1-3 days |
💵 Online Sports Betting in New Zealand
Placing sports wagers at a betting site in New Zealand is completely legal. However, the site that accepts bets is required to have a licence.
New Zealanders enjoy placing bets on all sorts of sports. Some of the biggest ones in the country are rugby union (the national sport), rugby league, cricket, tennis, hockey, squash, and golf, among many others.
Lots of recommended sites that have sports betting also have casino games. Some promote themselves as sportsbooks first and casinos second; for some, it’s the other way around.
The best betting sites have a few dozen sports markets you can bet on. Most of these are sports, such as local, national, and international events. However, you can also bet on non-sports, such as politics and the outcomes of TV competitions.
When placing a bet, your potential winnings are determined by the odds. A lot of the time, odds can change in the run-up to an event. Many of the best betting sites have live betting. This is where you bet on a match or race as it’s happening. You watch a live stream of the event, and depending on what happens, the odds can change quite dramatically. This makes betting unpredictable, more exciting, and potentially more rewarding.
🎰 Online Gambling Games
As we mentioned earlier, online casinos typically have several different categories of games available to play. The two most common ones you’ll find are pokies and classic casino games such as blackjack and roulette.
Online Pokies
Pokies, or slots, are by far the most common type of game found at online casinos today. Your average real money online casino has hundreds of pokies lined up. Some of the biggest online gambling destinations even have over a thousand.
The core mechanics of the pokie are simple to understand. There are usually five columns, or reels, with symbols on them. Get your bet placed and spin the reels. A new assortment of symbols lands on them. You’ll win and get paid if enough matching symbols are lined up on a payline. A payline is a line that covers one symbol per reel. Most pokies have around 10 or 20 of these, though many of them have a lot more.
What makes pokies so great is how varied they can be. They can differ not only in how many paylines there are but also in what features. Some of the most common features you’ll come across when playing pokies include:
- Free Spins
- Respins
- Expanding Wilds
- Progressive Jackpots
- Mini Games
- Synchronised Reels
- Multiplier Symbols
Features are there to enhance gameplay and make pokies more compelling and engaging. They can also reward you with extra chances of winning. A free spin round, for example, lets you spin the reels for free. All wins are given in real money, even though you’re not paying to spin.
Pokies come in all sorts of themes. From underwater and Ancient Egypt to outer space and fantasy realms, there’s no limit to the creative designs you can see in these games. Quite a few pokies are branded. This means they’re themed to popular IPs such as films or TV shows. The provider Playtech, for example, partnered with DC Comics to create pokies themed to Batman, Superman, and other popular superhero characters.
Of the many thousands of online pokies New Zealanders can play, there are some that are particularly popular. The pokies listed below are among the biggest in the country:
- Book of Dead by Play’n Go
- Greedy Wolf by Pragmatic Play
- Sweet Bonanza by Pragmatic Play
- Big Bass Bonanza by Reel Kingdom
- Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play
At most of New Zealand’s online casinos, you should be able to play all of these popular pokies and many more.
Take advantage of promotions and claim special offers so you can play online casino games for free. Welcome bonuses are some of the best gambling deals around. These reward you with bonus money and/or free spins when you first add funds to your balance. The best casino websites have generous deals and offer for players to make use of.
Table Games
There are lots of games that belong to this category. Most of them involve cards, though others use different things. Roulette, for example, uses a large wheel with numbered pockets. The wheel is spun, and a ball is dropped onto it; whichever pocket the ball stops in is the winner.
Blackjack, baccarat, and poker are the three main card games you’ll find. Blackjack is where you try to beat the dealer to 21. It requires some decision-making as you get to determine what happens to your hand. Baccarat, on the other hand, doesn’t require any decisions from you. All you do is select one of two hands, and if your chosen hand gets closer to 9 than the other, you win.
Then there’s poker. This is a step up from blackjack because it involves a lot of decision-making. Some games even have you place multiple bets over several rounds. Poker is a broad family of games that have a significant factor in common: your objective is to form the highest-ranking hand possible.
The best online casinos also offer games with live dealers. These are live versions of the games listed above and more. These online games are played in real time, and their gaming experience is immersive and engaging.
💳 Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
Online casinos should let gamblers use a range of banking methods. The more choices there are for players, the better. Most online casinos let you select from around half a dozen or so options; many have a greater selection.
There are several categories of banking options that you can use for online gambling. Debit and credit card options such as Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro are widely accepted. E-wallets, including Neteller, Skrill and PayPal, can be used at lots of sites. Prepaid card options, for example, Paysafecard and NeoSurf, are available at plenty of casinos, as is POLi, which lets you make payments directly from your bank. Lots of top online gambling sites offer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as options.
There’s also pay by phone. This is a popular way for mobile users to add funds to their casino accounts. The funds you add to your balance are added to your monthly bill.
Before you register at a casino site, make sure a banking option you currently use is accepted for both types of transactions. Some options can be used for one type but not the other. For example, you can only use a prepaid card for deposits. If you make a deposit with one of these, you’ll be able to use a different one – usually a bank transfer – to withdraw your wins.
You should also find out what the wait times are for transactions. Most of the time, deposits are instant or near-instant. Withdrawing wins, however, can take longer. The wait times are determined by two factors. The first is how long it takes the casino to process withdrawal requests. The second is the banking method you’re using. The top casinos take less than one working day to process requests, usually just a few hours. The banking methods with the fastest withdrawal times are e-wallets and cryptocurrencies.
There are usually minimum and maximum amounts for both deposits and cashouts. It’s common to have a minimum deposit of $10 or so. For cashing out, however, the lowest amount of cash you can take out is sometimes a bit higher.
🤝 Terms & Conditions You Should Know
In order to become a member of a casino, you have to tick a box confirming you’ve read the terms and conditions. Lots of people tick this without looking at the fine print. However, it’s advised that you have a read of it because it contains the casino’s rules. If you break a rule, you could be excluded from the site. This can happen even if you didn’t realise you were doing anything wrong.
For many players, one of the most important points in the t’s and c’s is wagering requirements. Whenever you claim a bonus, you have to satisfy the requirement before you can cash out any wins. Until you do, your wins are held in your balance as bonus credit that can’t be withdrawn.
To satisfy the requirement, you typically have to play through your bonus, or your deposit and bonus, a set number of times. At many casinos, you have to do this 30 times. Some, however, have a higher requirement, so you’ll have to play through your bonus or deposit and bonus more times.
The fine print also has information to do with accounts, as well as real money gambling. Some of the main points are:
- Minimum age to register (varies by country)
- Restricted countries
- Only one account per person
- Withdrawal wait times
- Closing accounts
💻 Tips on How to Avoid Scam Gambling Sites
Online casinos are generally very safe. However, there will always be dodgy sites that try to scam players in one way or another. Thankfully, it’s easy to tell which casinos are secure and can be trusted and which ones are best avoided.
The simplest way to avoid scam sites is to only play at licensed casinos. For a casino to receive a licence, it’s got to pass rigorous checks and prove it’s safe and secure. If you come across a casino that doesn’t have one, you shouldn’t sign up just to be on the safe side.
If you’re at a casino that has a licence, nothing major should go wrong. However, you should still keep your eyes peeled and look out for signs of anything untoward. If something out of the ordinary happens or there’s an issue, don’t hesitate to get in touch with customer support. Let’s say the casino processes withdrawal requests within two days. It’s been four days, and your request to cash out hasn’t been processed. In this case, you should get in touch with the support staff, and hopefully, they’ll get things sorted right away.
If customer support fails to help you when it’s something serious, you should try contacting the company that issued the casino’s licence. This third-party mediator will then try to get your issue resolved in a straightforward and timely manner for you.
💰 Register and Win!
If you want to gamble online, there’s no time like the present. Have a look through our suggested top online casinos NZ and select one that looks good to you. Then, complete the registration process, which should take no time at all. When you’ve got everything set up, you’re free to play games with real money.
Have fun with pokies, blackjack, roulette, live dealer games, and everything else that’s available. Also, don’t forget to claim your welcome bonus and other offers. Gamble for free and still have a chance of winning real money.
❓ FAQ
Online gambling NZ is indeed legal. So long as a casino is located overseas or is operated by Lotto NZ or the TAB, it’s allowed to accept New Zealanders
See what top online casinos we’ve showcased and pick whichever one appeals to you the most. We put together detailed reviews of the best gambling sites so you can easily find the most suitable places to gamble online.
It’s safe to do this online, so long as you stick to casinos that have a licence. If you play at an unlicensed site, there’s a chance the operator may not be reliable or trustworthy.
Gambling online is very safe indeed. The industry is very heavily regulated, and casinos use sophisticated security software to keep everything protected at all times. This includes both player data and cash.
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