Is it legal to gamble in New Zealand?

There are many forms of gambling for New Zealand. You can buy a lotto ticket, bet on sports or play slots, blackjack, and other games in casinos. Nowadays, online casinos have become very popular, giving us an opportunity to gamble online. So, if you want to gamble legal and safe, we created a small guide with useful information. It will allow you to understand the laws, restrictions and the limit age, which is required to play casinos.

At what age can you play in the casino?

You become an adult at 20 years old in New Zealand. At this age you can earn minimum wage rates. However, at 18 years old you can legally drink in pubs, buy tobacco, and many more things, including purchasing property. At 16 you can get married and have sex. (consensual). And what’s about gambling? The legal age to play casinos depends on a particular form of gambling activities.
To play lotteries there is no limit age, however, in order to play pokies in pubs, restaurants and clubs you have to be 18 years or over. As well as sports betting, you need to be over 18 to place a bet, otherwise, if you place a bet being under 18 you will be fined up to $500.

Land-based Casinos

In case you want to hit the poker tables in one of New Zealand’s land-based casinos, you have to be over 20. In order to access the gambling casino area to buy drinks or place bets, you are required to be an adult. To prove your age in a NZ casino, you can show your valid passport or driver’s license. Be aware that fake identification can cost you up to $500 plus a ban in casinos, like SkyCity for 2 years.

Online casinos

As you understand, land-based casinos have several restrictions, and a popular alternative for that is online gambling. For any online betting you are required to be over 18. However, with online gambling it’s not that easy. There are many restrictions, concerning online gambling in NZ. Long story short, Kiwis are able to play any offshore casinos. According to the Gambling act from 2003, all gambling sites registered in NZ are prohibited for any operation. However, if the casino site is registered overseas, and is not regulated by NZ authority, it’s fully legal to play with them. In addition, you can keep 100% of your prize without taxation.

Who regulates online gambling?

In fact, online casinos are regulated by several gambling authorities. Some of them are more strict with the rules, some of them more loyal. The majority of casinos are regulated by reliable and reputable regulators, and certified by independent agencies, like eCOGRA audit company. It means that you’re in a safe place, if you choose the right one. Make sure to do a little homework and read our casino reviews. The most respected regulators are the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Curacao Gambling Control. How to find if the casino is licensed or not? In order to do that, go to the bottom of the page in the casinos site and look for the logo of one of these authorities.

Conclusion

We hope you know at what age you can play, and how to play legal. All things considered, you have to be over 18 to play online casinos. However, you are required to be over 20 to play land-based casinos in New Zealand.

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FAQ

What is wagering requirement online casino?

Experienced gamblers like bonuses, but they hate wagering requirements. The players know what they mean, that is why gamblers use them quite rarely. So, let me clarify what exactly the wagering requirement is, what reference it has to the bonuses, and why players recommend avoiding them.

Wagering requirements & bonuses

When you launch a gambling site for the first time, you can see the striking images offering you cash prizes and free spins. This is definitely attractive but remember that it’s not all gold that glitters.

The welcome offers have requirements. The wagering requirements are the number of spins a player makes with the given ‘welcome reward’ before he actually requests for payout. In other words, these wagering terms imply that you have to deposit, make several spins (x30, for example) and only then you can withdraw the money. If you won some, of course.

The number of spinning times (or hands) varies from casino to casino. It depends on their own requirements. So, remember to read the bonus T&Cs before claiming for the offer.

Why do experienced players recommend avoiding bonuses?

As you can understand now, the terms require you to deposit, get the extra money and play these rewarded money through. The last process goes on very slowly especially when the money sum is big. So, you have to make a lot of unnecessary spins. You don’t need them just because you’ll have little profit from the free prize in the end.

Let’s suppose you deposited $50, your offer claims you get 100% deposit and have to wager 30 times. Totally you have $100 to play. But you can’t make ten spins of $0.25 bet and make a withdrawal. You have to meet the requirements, so you spin 30 times. During these rounds you can go low beyond the rewarded $50 and touch already your own budget. As a result, you spend your money and don’t actually win.

Are Fast Payout Casinos Safe?

On the page above we have listed the best online casinos with the fastest payouts. Make sure to register only on the sites we mention. These casinos tend to be reliable and reputable. If you look for same-day withdrawals, check them out!

WHAT IS NZD?

NZD, simply, is an abbreviation of the New Zealand dollar. NZD is a national currency in New Zealand. You should also know that any online casino that accepts the New Zealand dollar is known as NZD online casino.