Guide to Gambling in New Zealand

New Zealand has a rich gambling tradition. It has played an active part in the offline gambling scene since the 1800s – horse-racing being the major wagering outlet, back then. After several decades, racing took a backseat with bingo halls, lottery, etc. entering the fray. In the 1950s, several clubs across the country ushered in the legal pokie era.

As per latest statistics, close to 80 percent of New Zealand’s gamble once a year at least – be that on slots, sports, or the many casino games. With such a rich gambling culture, the online casino circuit was bound to taste success when Internet gambling spread its wings completely, and the response was on expected lines.

Most Popular Games

To a majority of new zealand’s, an online casino is not just a fun way to keep them engaged, but they also see the avenue as a potential source for making good money. This makes some of the more serious and intuitive games such as pokies, blackjack, baccarat and roulette grab their fancy more. Aussies like to play anytime, anywhere and casino sites that have designed their offerings to the various mobile device landscapes tend to be more popular among the gaming Kiwis. A few of the popular games in brief:

a) Baccarat – a community-based game wherein the objective is to inch closer to nine as much as possible.

b) Pokies – known as slots outside New Zealand, it’s the virtual version of conventional slots.

c) Blackjack – is a card-comparison game, wherein a player fights it out with the dealer and not fellow players.

d) Craps – a dice game wherein players wage on a roll’s outcome.

e) Roulette – is a wheel-based game in which a player places bets on a number range or just a single number.

Popular Pokies

New Zealand’s love their pokies – for the game has simple rules, and a basic but addictive game play. As per estimates, approximately 600,000 people play the game weekly, with close to 40 percent either hooked for life or nearing addiction stage. The following gambling sites offer the best pokies experience in New Zealand:

a) WMS

Thanks to the several strategic tie-ups, WMS pokies are now available at multiple online casinos. Before, these were accessible only via the jackpot casino party site, which was launched in 2010. This straightforward yet effective technique allows operators to offer some of the best pokies, including “Kiss: Shout It Out Loud” and “The Wizard of Oz.” Several more sites are now expected to offer WMS pokies titles in the coming years.

b) Microgaming

Microgaming is another popular player in the New Zealand online gaming industry, with its pokies being very popular – especially for the variety of titles on offer. Their pokies are apt for both traditionalists and people who’d like to try something out of the box. Tomb Raider, Avalon, Untamed Bengal Tiger, etc. are some of Microgaming’s popular pokies games.

c) Aristocrat

Aristocrat is New Zealand’s number one pokies machines provider. However, New Zealands cannot access the company’s pokies offerings as they are curbed by national licensing regulations. If one comes across a pokies game posing as an Aristocrat product, it’s certainly a fake. Some of their popular games are “Where’s the Gold?” and “Choy Sun Doa”.

Top New Zealand Casinos

There is no dearth of casinos – both online and brick-and-mortar – in New Zealand. But there are a few that have managed to outshine the competition and emerge as top-picks. The following are the top three online casinos in New Zealand.

Vegas Paradise

Sans downloads, flash software, Vegas Paradise is chockablock with a wide range of games provided by designers like Leander Games, Microgaming, NetEnt, Cryptologic, Wagermill, etc.

The games on offer are compatible with multiple devices, such as laptops, tablet PCs, Androids, iPhones and even older Blackberry software and hardware versions. There is also a live dealer game suite.

Jackpot City

A Microgaming casino, Jackpot City has more than 300 casino games – from table offerings such as roulette, blackjack, poker to progressive jackpots and online slots. The online casino’s enhanced Microgaming software features and graphics accurately simulate the sounds and sights of Vegas.

The latest encryption technologies ensure all the online transactions and user personal details are safe and hack-proof. 3D graphics, huge jackpots, game strategy and auto play features, etc. are some of the casino’s salient features.

Leo Vegas

Compared to other online casinos, Leo Vegas adopts a more simplistic approach. In fact, it’s designed keeping only the mobile player in mind. This no-fuss layout helps the site house a huge repository of games and offer them to players in a seamless fashion.

Simply put, there won’t be any distractions and you can navigate to your destination quickly on the site. Also, this Internet casino is ideal for gamers who prefer on-the-go casino gaming.