Top Live Casinos in New Zealand

The gambling history of New Zealand goes way back to the 1830s when Kiwis would bet primarily on the outcome of horse races. The first lottery was conducted in 1877 to raise money, and it was known as the Art Union. During the 1900s the acceptance of all forms of gambling began to decrease and it was seen as an immoral activity. As a result, almost all forms of gambling were illegal under the NZ Gambling act of 1908.

Today, New Zealand is very different when it comes to legal gambling than in the past. Gambling in the country was strictly controlled and regulated until the 1980s when casinos and lottery games were finally approved by the Parliament.

The New Zealand Lottery Commission was established in 1987, and it was a regulatory agency that handled all gambling regulations, issues and governance. Slot machines were legalized in 1991, and they were placed in hotels and bars. The first casino opened a few years later. In 2003 the Principle Act or Gambling Act established the regulatory framework needed for legal gambling in New Zealand.

Nowadays, domestic citizens, as well as tourists, who are of legal age can access the land-based casinos within the territory of New Zealand. When it comes to live online gambling, it is forbidden for any operator to start live online gambling operations in New Zealand. However, the law does not cover foreign live online gambling operators, as they are free to accept players from New Zealand, and those players will not face any repercussions for playing at those sites.

With the latest advancements in technology, live casinos are ever so popular in the world, and players from New Zealand seem to follow this trend. The history of gambling in the country is quite rich, and at the moment it seems it goes in the right direction.

Although land-based casinos are legal, and there are 6 of them based in the biggest cities in the country, the live gambling sector remains illegal, in a way. Despite pressure from the gambling community within the country, the New Zealand government simply refuses to liberalize the market and allow private entities to obtain an online gambling licence.

No operator is allowed to offer online gambling services within the territory of New Zealand, but there is no law prohibiting gamblers from the country from accessing offshore live dealer casinos. This is confusing a bit, as the government does not block or blacklist foreign online casinos, but is not interested in liberalizing the market inside the country.

Because of this, the pressure on the government increases to start with the loosing up of the market regulations covering New Zealand live casinos, but with little success so far. However, in the future, it can be expected that the New Zealand government will succumb to that pressure and follow the best practices of the most developed countries in the world, and make live gambling legal.

It is a logical step to make, as it can be a good contributor to the economy of the country. The land-based casinos enjoy great success, they are regularly visited by domestic and foreign citizens, so all indicators point that live online casinos in new zealand will enjoy similar, or even better success if allowed in the country.

Casinos in New Zealand are legal and are governed under the Gambling Act of 2003 and the amendments of int. Players must be at least 20 years old to enter a brick and mortar casino in New Zealand. Gambling types that are not mentioned in the Gambling Act are considered to be illegal.

Land-based casinos are present in the biggest cities in New Zealand, and at the moment there are 6 active casinos in the country. Residents, as well as foreign tourists regularly visit these establishments and try their luck. Gambling is widely popular in the country, so the popularity of these establishments comes as no surprise.

When it comes to live dealer gambling, there are no legal live casinos in the country, as the government prohibits the creation of any. New Zealand players are blocked from accessing any potential domestic live casinos, but there is no regulation stopping them from playing at offshore live casinos. Regulation is strict when it comes to domestic live gambling, but that is not the case for foreign operators.

The government fully supports offshore live casinos but there are restrictions for advertising foreign gambling operators. They are not allowed to promote themselves in New Zealand, and any media company that does that will face penalties that reach up to $10,000 for each offence.

Players, however, are free to play at any live casino that accepts players from New Zealand without facing any repercussions for it, and luckily there are tons of offshore live casino sites that accept them and have implemented the New Zealand dollar as a currency.

New Zealand has a thriving live casino game market, with a large number of players enjoying these games on a regular basis. This makes the Oceanian nation an interesting prospect for igamers as well as live casino product providers and software developers looking to expand into a new location.

Choosing a live casino game is always a personal preference, but players often benefit from some guidance along the way. Learning about the most popular games in a specific market can provide this guidance. Players can see which games are being enjoyed by other gamers and use this to influence their own choices.

Roulette

Live Roulette is a fast-paced game that is easy for players to quickly get the hang of. This makes it a popular choice for gamblers in New Zealand. Live casino software streams casino spins directly from the wheel in the studio so that players can feel they are part of the action.

Blackjack

Live blackjack tables — streamed from casino floors or studios in New Zealand and elsewhere — provide another easy access point for gamers. The rules of blackjack are simple and straightforward, and the gameplay is exciting. This makes blackjack a common sight in New Zealand's live online casinos.

Lightning Games

Lightning games are designed to provide rapid action and thrills. The best New Zealand live casinos offer a number of different lightning games, allowing players to experience the excitement and swift pace of physical casino gaming from the comfort of their own homes.

Poker

Poker is a casino classic, and this game translates well to the New Zealand live casino environment. While the pace is a little slower than some of the other games on this list, the added element of strategy keeps players coming back for more.

Video Slots

There are many different types of slots available to players in live casinos across New Zealand. While many of these slots are traditional online games, the best New Zealand live casinos also offer video slots that provide live streaming action direct from the studio or from the casino floor itself.

Sic Bo

Live Sic Bo is not a traditional New Zealander game. However, it has been imported into the country by immigrants from East Asian communities and has grown very popular in recent years. Many live casinos now offer a range of Asian-influenced games, including Sic Bo.

The list of game providers is something any player checks when accessing any live casino. New Zealand players have the luxury of choosing from the best live casinos in the world, as the government does not stop them from attracting players from its country.

Having said that, the most popular live casino sites among New Zealand players have partnered with some of the best, and most advanced game providers in the market, such as:

• NetEnt
• Microgaming
• Play N Go
• Betsoft
• Pragmatic Play

All these providers are known for the best quality and quantity of games, so any player seeing these providers on a live casino site can rest assured of the best gaming experience.

New Zealand players can choose countless live casinos, and those live casinos look to attract as many players from that country as possible. The bonuses and promotions they offer are always a good way to do so.

When a player registers to a live online casino in New Zealand, a bonus package will be awarded to them immediately. The live casino usually covers the first deposit of the players when awarding this bonus. Welcome bonuses have the most terms and conditions, so players need to be aware of them.

Free spins are one of the favourites among New Zealand players, as they can get free spins on certain live slots, or slots from specific providers.

How to Claim These Bonuses

Bonuses always have certain requirements, and they can be high, and in that case, the bonus amount doesn't matter. For this reason, before using any bonus, players need to check the terms and conditions attached to it.

As mentioned, welcome bonuses have the most terms and conditions, and only newly registered players can use them. They have minimum and maximum amounts that can be deposited, but they vary from one live casino to another. Free spins are also highly popular, and they are simple to use, the player just needs to check which games it applies to and they can try their luck in winning the big prizes.

Players from all over the world can enjoy gaming at New Zealand's live casinos because many provide support and gaming in different languages. The best New Zealand live casinos offer several language options to players.

But not all casinos offer the same level of language accessibility. For instance, some provide written gameplay instructions in multiple languages, but there aren't any multilingual live dealers available to support players. Similarly, a casino might employ dealers who are fluent in certain languages but not offer written material.

Some of the most commonly supported languages at live casinos in New Zealand include:

• English — mainly New Zealand and Australian English, but also UK, US, and Canadian English
• Spanish
• Mandarin Chinese
• French
• German
• Dutch
• Norwegian
• Swedish
• Danish