Are Online Casinos Legal in New Zealand?
As the online gambling industry is continuing to grow and spread out across the globe, more and more people are welcoming this expansion. For casinos and businesses operating in the gambling industry, this enables a wider reach and more customers in general. For gamblers, on the other hand, this brings forth the opportunity to enjoy some of their favorite casino games without ever needing to leave the comfort of their own homes.
However, the fact of the matter is that gambling is still not accepted in all parts of the world. What’s more, there are countries that have strict gambling laws, prohibiting their citizens from taking part in such activities. Additionally, there are countries that allow some forms of online gambling while banning the others, yet the rules are not always crystal clear as to what’s being allowed and what’s not.
New Zealand is a great example of such countries with somewhat unclear laws. For instance, while NZ allows for gambling on offshore casino websites, their residents are not allowed to do the same locally. In fact, there are only a few domestic operators that are approved by the government, including Lotto NZ and the TAB. So, what does this exactly mean for online casino NZ fans?
Potential issues with offshore casino options
Naturally, while offshore online gambling may be the only option for New Zealanders currently, this type of gambling has some advantages and disadvantages when compared with more localized alternatives.
Offshore online casino providers are welcoming to all customers across the globe. So, if you’re from New Zealand and you want to visit a website such as onlinecasino-southafrica.co.za, for instance, you can expect to receive a very warm welcome. Most commonly, you will be offered various types of welcome bonuses, special deals and promotions. And while all of this sounds great, we need to look at some of the drawbacks of offshore casinos.
For starters, not all offshore casinos are regulated equally, meaning that not all of them are entirely safe to use. While the most reputable ones will be regulated and licensed, you can also easily come across the ones that are not. In such an instance, you may run the risk of losing all of your money, as they will be in no obligation to actually pay out your winnings.
Furthermore, offshore online casinos don’t really need to accept all the currencies in the world, so you may end up not having your local currency listed among the accepted ones. And while casinos will offer the opportunity to exchange your currency for the ones they do accept, this option is usually followed by hefty exchange fees.
That being said, let’s dive deeper into the viewpoint of regulatory bodies in New Zealand and see what they have to say about online gambling options in this country.
New Zealand and online gambling
As mentioned earlier, while certain forms of online gambling are allowed in New Zealand, others are not. Sports betting, lotteries and racing are some of the gambling activities New Zealanders can freely take part in, without running the risk of breaking any laws.
Quite similar to Australia’s Gambling Act, the New Zealand one only refers to any forms of gambling that occur within the country borders. That’s why the online websites that accept NZ players but are not based in New Zealand generally don’t fall under this act.
Luckily, the New Zealand government recognizes the flaws within their laws regarding gambling, so they’ve begun working on developing a safe, regulated online gambling system for NZ. That way, they will provide their citizens with the opportunity to stay safe while gambling, by ensuring that they have a plethora of trusted providers to choose from. Not only will this update bring more protection and security to gamblers themselves, but it is also believed that it will significantly contribute to both the overall community and economy of NZ.
The NZ Gambling Act
Since the current New Zealand gambling act was created nearly two decades ago, it’s understandable that it doesn’t feature any clear guidelines on modern forms of gambling. Since the technology wasn’t even remotely developed in 2003 – as it is today – the Act didn’t really account for online gambling. That being said, it clearly states that any forms of gambling outside of those that were available back in 2003 are strictly forbidden.
Looking back at everything we’ve discussed so far, it becomes quite obvious why some New Zealanders find it difficult to understand exactly what is and isn’t being allowed when it comes to online gambling in NZ. But since times are changing and laws need to be updated to account for current goings-on, it’s safe to assume that things will change regarding gambling laws in New Zealand as well – hopefully for the better.
