What happens if you’re living in New Zealand and you want to partake in some online gambling?
The New Zealand government has got some fairly robust rules and regulations on gambling that takes place in ‘real-life’, and their 2003 Gambling Act controls what sort of activities can take place.
According to the Act, its purpose is to:
- control the growth of gambling
- prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling including problem gambling
- authorise some gambling and prohibit the rest
- facilitate responsible gambling
- ensure the fairness and integrity of games
- limit opportunities for crime and dishonesty associated with gambling
- ensure that money from gambling benefits the community
- facilitate community involvement in decisions about the provision of gambling.
It’s also illegal for overseas operators to advertise to New Zealanders.
Online gambling is a massive industry in the country but right now the only way you can play through Kiwi operators is through Lotto and the TAB. There are no domestic online sites that allow locals to play.
In the last 18 months, New Zealanders spent more than $300 million gambling online – while the whole industry is worth over $2 billion. That’s a lot of money floating around the system.
There have been plans in place to open up this side of the economy, but they haven’t gone through parliament yet and right now, New Zealand remains under-developed in this aspect. These plans include:
- Offering more online gaming products within New Zealand
- Or allowing new operators into New Zealand
- Or allowing international operators to apply for a license
However, that lack of regulation that doesn’t mean that you cannot have a little bit of fun with an online casino that’s based offshore.
The internet is a wonderful thing and it’s opened up more opportunities to more people than anyone thought possible. It also means that you can play slots and table games on your phone or computer from casino online operators who are regulated and licenced by different countries.
You’ve got a few options if you want to take your game away from a bricks and mortar store. However, there are a few bits of information that you should be aware of before you go click crazy and it concerns their licensing arrangement.
On a global scale there are three licenses that you should be aware of:
- MGA
- Curaco
- Gibraltor
They are all really reputable and any site that holds one of those licences is considered to be safe, but the one you really want to look out for is the MGA. This is the licence tied to Maltese regulation, which is thought to be one of the best.
MGA is good because it has authority. This means that you can be 100% sure that any winnings will always be guaranteed to fall into your back pocket, rather than being swallowed up by the mysterious and shadowy criminals that can lurk on the internet.
The Maltese know they have a good reputation and that’s why they’re careful to licence only the most reputable outlets.
Make sure you do a bit of research on any gambling site before you play. It won’t take long to find the little MGA logo or information about who licenses the casino. Most sites will have an ‘about us’ page, which should have all the information you need.
Do your research, but don’t forget to have fun!
