Navigating Online Gambling Regulations in New Zealand
New Zealand is a country that has a mixed relationship with various forms of gambling. Although millions of Kiwi adults like to indulge in gambling, some forms are prohibited in the country. For example, sports betting (such as betting on the outcome of horse races and team sports) is legal in the country. However, local New Zealand bookmakers need to be licensed through the New Zealand Racing Board or they will not be deemed as legal betting operations. Only sanctioned sports betting companies can operate within the country. New Zealand is also home to a small range of land-based casinos where adults can enjoy a range of popular card games, pokies, and other games of chance such as roulette and bingo. However, there are only six commercial casinos that operate in New Zealand. Online gambling is subject to some other rules and regulations, which will be explored in more detail in this article.
The current legislation – The Gambling Act of 2003
At present, gambling in New Zealand is governed by legislation, specifically the rules that are set out in the Gambling Act of 2003. This legislation aimed to curb the growth of gambling in the country and reduce the likelihood of citizens developing problems with gambling. It also seeks to ensure the integrity and fairness of games that are allowed to be played. One of the key parts of this legislation is that online casinos cannot be based in New Zealand. As such there are no online casinos that operate from New Zealand as their base. However, this is not to say that New Zealanders cannot gamble online at casinos that are in other countries. For example, adult Kiwis can log on to a professionally run site such as Jackpot City Online Casino. Here, they can find a wealth of gaming options such as classic blackjack and popular slot machines such as Thunder Struck Wild Lightning. Such casinos are based in other countries, which allows them to be legally accessed by New Zealander adults. However, some sites may require you to use a virtual private network to gain access. VPNs effectively allow you to change your IP address to that of another location. For example, if you use an American server on your VPN, you will seem to be accessing sites from America, which can allow you to circumvent some location-based restrictions.
You must be 18 or older to play online casinos
As previously mentioned, six land-based casinos operate legally in New Zealand. However, to enter the premises you must be a minimum of 20 years old. Land-based casinos can be fined if they are found to allow under 20s to enter and play at their premises. The rules for online casinos are somewhat less strict as you only need to be 18 years old to enter most online casinos as a New Zealand resident. This makes online casinos an extremely attractive option to young adults, and it is little surprise that the popularity of such offshore sites continues to grow in the country. Some industry analysts predict that offshore online casinos may come under increased scrutiny by New Zealand’s gambling regulators, especially if the government deems that there is a problem emerging in the gambling habits of young people. However, at present it is perfectly legal for 18-year-olds to access such sites at their own risk.