Gambling has been a favourite pastime among Kiwi players for decades. Players in New Zealand can enjoy their favourite table games and slots remotely from their mobile phones and desktops, thanks to the widespread online casinos. If you want to join the active online gambling community in NZ, keep reading to know the most popular games and the legality of online casinos in the country.
State of Online Gaming in NZ
Gaming regulations in New Zealand have considerably changed since the first law in 1835. This was when the government legalised sports betting before allowing state-run lotteries in 1932. Fast forward to 1991, the Casino Control Act was passed to legalise casinos nationwide.
However, the modern gambling sector in NZ faced a significant setback in 2003 after the
introduction of the Gambling Act of 2003. This law criminalised all forms of online gambling without mentioning offshore sites.
But all hope is not lost for online gamblers. As it stands, no law prevents NZ players from joining casino sites operated outside the country. This leaves the door open for hundreds of licensed casinos, especially in European regulations, to accept Kiwi players.
Most Popular Games in NZ
Before listing the most popular casino games, visit
https://casinogames.nz/ to discover how we rate casino games and the latest titles to play. You'll also learn how to find the best casinos and bonuses in New Zealand.
Pokies
Pokies or slots in other English-speaking countries are NZ's most played real money casino games. You'll find pokies at nearly all online casinos accepting Kiwi players. Many casino sites offer thousands of pokie machines with varying themes such as fruit, ancient Egypt, Norse mythology, music, movies, and more. These games are incredibly easy to play. Simply place a bet and tap "Spin" to match symbols.
Video Poker
Video poker is another widely played casino game in NZ. This game shares some similarities with pokie machines by allowing players to insert money into the machine and place a wager. After that, you'll get five cards you can discard to get new ones, depending on your strategy. The objective is to create a solid five-card hand, with royal flush paying out the most.
Blackjack
Besides poker,
blackjack is the only other skill-based casino game. It's played using eight decks, each with 52 cards. The player and the dealer receive a single face-up card before a second card is dealt to the player. The primary goal in blackjack is to create a hand value closest to 21 to win the round. In this game, Aces are the most valuable cards, counting as 1 or 11, with Court cards counting as 10.
Roulette
Roulette is a mainstay in almost every casino site and is famous for its fun and straightforward nature. In roulette, you'll predict where the ball will land after the wheel stops spinning. This can be a red/black pocket, odd/even number, specific number, and other bets. But when playing roulette in NZ, avoid the American version with a higher house edge brought by the extra double-zero pocket.
Conclusion
Now you know which casino games to play online or offline in NZ. This list could be longer to include options like craps, keno, scratch cards, and live dealer games. There is no shortage of options to play!
